On Saturday October 23, Aspire Public Schools celebrated its fifth anniversary with music, dancing, and inspiring words.

More than 300 Aspire staff, spouses and partners, board members and other supporters gathered at Historic Sweet’s Ballroom to celebrate Aspire’s incredible contribution to public education in five short years. Guests feasted on a tasty buffet by candlelight in the art deco ballroom, and danced the night away. The event, sponsored by Aspire’s Executive Committee, was a way to recognize and celebrate all those who made Aspire possible.

Aspire Chief Executive Officer Don Shalvey, Chief Operating Officer Gloria Lee and Chief Academic Officer Elise Darwish, emceed by Wilson Prep Principal Troyvoi Hicks, presented an inspiring program that included awards for all staff who had been with Aspire since its inception and staff who had opened two Aspire schools, and honored more than 45 teachers and principals for embodying one of Aspire’s core values: Collaboration, Customer Service, Ownership, Quality, and Purposefulness. Each award winner stepped to the stage to rousing cheers to receive a leather bound journal with a special certificate inside.

Don Shalvey’s “State of Aspire” presentation highlighted the organization’s accomplishments, growth, and the impact it has made on children in Stockton, Modesto, Oakland, Sacramento and East Palo Alto since 1999. The evening program featured a speech by Beth Hunkapiller, Chair of Aspire’s Board of Directors. Troyvoi Hicks led guests in a call-and reponse cheer of Wilson Prep’s motto, “Collegio…Claro!” (“College…for Certain!”)

Kevin Johnson, former NBA basketball star and president of non-profit community development organization St. Hope, spoke about the inspiring role that Don Shalvey and Aspire played in Kevin’s decision to open a charter school in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento. Kevin compared his decision to open the school with Don’s encouragement to a seminal experience in his basketball career with the Phoenix Suns. After losing two games to the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals, Phoenix Suns coach Paul Westphal selected Johnson to guard national superstar Michael Jordan in the teams’ next encounter, based on the support of Phoenix teammates who believed in Kevin’s ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Don and Aspire helped provide Kevin with a similar level of self-belief when he made the leap from community development work to opening a school.

Telescopic vision: Gloria Lee
presents Don's award

Summit Academy staff

Gloria Lee and Elise Darwish presented Don with a Meade telescope and a traveling case decorated with the signature of every Aspire staff member. Honoring Don’s vision and leadership, Gloria described Don as “the keeper of the Aspire vision, the one who encourages us all to look to the stars and believe that anything is possible.”

At the end of the night, each school staff performed a special song. The staff of Wilson Prep prepared an original rap to a song by LL Cool J; the staff of River Oaks Charter Academy wrote a song to the tune of Abba’s Dancing Queen (“You can teach, you're so bright/We're having the time of our life…”); and the staff of Summit Academy donned cowboy hats and got the 300-plus crowd on their feet with a reworking of the Village People’s YMCA.

Aspire staff described the event as a great bonding experience for the organization. By allowing staff from different school sites to meet each other face to face – in many cases for the first time – the event brought staff together to celebrate their passion for Aspire’s work and made them feel valued as part of the Aspire community.

Aspire is deeply grateful to Beth Hunkapiller, Melvin Kaplan, Steven Merrill, Steve Poizner, Bill Hughson, Sareena Ghulati and Dick Spalding for sponsoring the fifth anniversary event.

Aspire gets down