Each March, Women’s History Month invites us to reflect on and elevate the women who shape our communities and institutions. These are women who have stepped into roles not always built with them in mind and who continue to create space for others to thrive. At the School District of Lancaster, this recognition goes beyond celebration, it is a moment to honor how leadership is shaped by experience, thoughtful action, and a deep sense of purpose.
This month, we honor Jassinya Alvarado, Director of Educational Access and Opportunity, McCaskey alum, SDOL graduate, mother, and lifelong learner. Her leadership is grounded in community, identity, and care. She leads by asking an essential question: How are we making sure people feel seen, valued, and included?
That question guides everything she does.
Names Carry Meaning
For Jas, as she’s affectionately known, the journey with her name reflects the complexity of growing up in systems that doesn’t always make space for full identities. “I have two last names,” she says. “But growing up, writing out ‘Jassinya Alvarado-Padilla felt overwhelming. That’s 28-plus letters, including my middle name.”
As an adult, her views have shifted. She now sees names as personal, cultural, and powerful. “I advocate for others when it comes to saying names correctly, how their mothers and families intended them to be said. For me, I didn’t always feel the confidence to correct people on how to properly say my name with a Spanish accent.
It’s this duality being vocal for others while learning to speak up for herself that has shaped her approach to equity and advocacy.
Growing Up in Lancaster
Though born in Puerto Rico, Jas came to Lancaster at just four months old and has called it home ever since. “I didn’t realize we were poor growing up. I was surrounded by so much love that I never noticed what we didn’t have.”
Her upbringing was full of family. With a mother who was one of 12 and a father with more than 20 siblings, Jas grew up with cousins who became her best friends. “I didn’t have sisters, so my cousins were my sisters. I was told I didn’t need friends because I had family.”
She also has two older brothers who have showered her with love throughout her life. Her brother, affectionately known as Berto, taught her about the importance of advocacy and authenticity. Her brother has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and as a young female with parents who spoke little English, she served as a translator during IEP meetings and supported her family with navigating through the special education process. These lived experiences birthed a life long commitment to creating space for all people to love who they are for their differences and to be bonded by their similarities.
It wasn’t until middle school that she began to explore who she was outside of that close-knit circle. School and participation in sports became not just a place to learn and develop but a place to feel safe, seen, and valued. “When things were hard at home, school gave me consistency and predictability. It was a place where I felt like I belonged and I could thrive with the love and support I was surrounded with.”
A Path Built Through Education
Jassinya’s roots in SDOL run deep. She started at age 3 in the district’s early childhood program, attended Price Elementary, Wheatland Middle, and McCaskey High School. Through the early childhood co-op program, she gained hands-on classroom experience. “School was always where I wanted to be,” she says. “Even though I talked too much and got in trouble for it, I loved school.”
Mentorship helped shape her drive. Teachers like Deb Van Pelt, Angela Frey, and Nancy Val, pushed her to give her best. “They never let me settle. If something wasn’t my best, they’d tell me to do it again. It showed me that I was capable of more.”
Now working toward her doctorate after earning a bachelor’s from Millersville University and master’s from Grand Canyon University, she’s the first in her family to reach these academic milestones. “I didn’t do this just for me, I did it so I could better serve others.”
Creating Systems That Work for Everyone
When she returned to SDOL professionally, Jassinya took on the role of Coordinator of School Climate, focusing on PBIS, MTSS, Restorative Practices and attendance. “I came in ready to help wherever I could,” she says. “If I saw a gap, I wanted to help systematically close it.”
During the pandemic, she stepped into several roles at once, helping keep essential systems running. Eventually, she became the Assistant Director of School Climate. When the role of Director of Educational Access and Opportunity opened, she didn’t plan to apply. “I believed equity needed to be a shared responsibility, not placed on one person.”
But after colleagues encouraged her to apply, she reconsidered. Now in the position, she’s defining what equity looks like in action, ensuring students, families, and staff have what they need, when they need it, in ways that make sense for them.
Being a Woman of Color in Leadership
As a woman of color in leadership, Jas has had to navigate expectations that aren’t always fair or spoken aloud and stigmas that create glass ceilings. “There are things others can say that I can’t, without being misunderstood. I’ve had to be careful with how I’m perceived, but I’ve also learned to be okay with being myself.” 
She grew up around strong Puerto Rican and Black women, women who spoke up, cooked big meals, make bold moves, and claimed space while making space for others. But in professional settings, she had to learn to temper that boldness to fit systems not built for her. “I try to be kind and approachable with a smile on my face. But I also have to make tough decisions, and not everyone will agree with them. That’s part of the job.”
Still, she holds firm to her values: authenticity, relationship-building, open mind with an open heart, and a commitment to doing what’s best for students and people.
Advice for Young Women
To the next generation of women, especially young women of color, Jassinya offers this:
- Be great with purpose. Everyone has something to offer. “Are you in a place where you feel safe enough to share your true self and strengths?”
- Trust your dopeness. You don’t need to change to be accepted. “There’s power in being yourself.”
She adds, “Don’t shrink to make others comfortable. Your story, your voice, and your experiences matter.”
Defining Success Beyond Titles
For Jas, success isn’t about projects or titles. It’s about whether people feel seen, valued, and supported, whether systems are more inclusive than they were before. “If someone has access now who didn’t before, if we’ve made it easier for someone to be successful, that’s what matters to me.” 
As a parent of an SDOL student and a relative to others in the district, she sees this work through a deeply personal lens. “I want kids to grow up saying, ‘I felt cared for in school. I saw myself in what I learned.’”
Women’s History Month: Lift as You Climb
March is a time of reflection for Jas. She thinks of the women who shaped her, family members, mentors, colleagues. “Some superheroes wear capes. Mine wore heels.”
Her goal now is to help others step into their power. “If I take two steps forward, I have to bring someone with me. That’s how we build something lasting, not by going at it alone, but by moving forward together.”
She’s committed to building a district where everyone, students, staff, and families, can feel like they authentically and undoubtedly belong. And in doing so, she’s helping shape a future that offers more opportunity, more access, and more understanding.
In celebrating Jassinya Alvarado this Women’s History Month, we celebrate a leader with deep ties to our district and our city. Her story is still being written by her, by those she lifts up, and by the many students whose lives she continues to impact. When we invest in people, and when we truly listen, we open doors to what’s possible.