Isaac S. Solano, PhD, is a Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain alumnus and the 2009 Inspiration Scholar. Dr. Solano graduated from Denver’s North High School that same year and has continued to make JA proud as he follows his passion for education, through education.
Following high school, Dr. Solano earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Chicano and Latino Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before heading to New York City to complete a Master of Arts degree in Education Policy from the Teachers College of Columbia University. In 2023, he completed his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Denver. Dr. Solano is currently the Manager of Leader Development for Denver Public Schools, with aspirations of one day becoming a superintendent of a Colorado school district.
Under the guidance and direction of his trusted high school counselor Ms. Pat Salas, Dr. Solano attended JA’s summer programming for 3 years and participated in the JA Stock Market Challenge. He credits JA’s programs with helping prepare him for his future.
“JA has had a huge impact on my life,” Dr. Solano says. “It helped me build a solid foundation in skills related to working with diverse groups, and JA programming is one of the reasons why I have been so successful. All of JA’s programs are designed to help students do two things: learn about business and learn about how to work on a team with others.”
Although Dr. Solano’s path to success has had plenty of turns along the way, his passion for making a difference in public education has remained constant. As a dedicated administrator, equipped with incredible knowledge, he continues on the path to provide students with the tools they need to succeed.
“Although education is not a business, working collaboratively in education is something that is a necessity, to ensure the success of students” added Dr. Solano. “Every JA program that I participated in helped me build my teamwork skills, and those are skills I still use every day.”
