Catch Up with the East Side Education Foundation: Spartan East Side Promise 10 year anniversary, Hall of Fame Nominations, College Preparedness Forum Recap, and Scholarship Awards Recap

A Message from the Executive Director

en years ago, the Spartan East Side Promise was more than a partnership — it was a commitment. A commitment that zip codes would not determine destiny. A commitment that East Side students, many of whom are first-generation college students, would have a clear and supported pathway to a four-year university.

Today, as we celebrate a decade of the Spartan East Side Promise, we celebrate more than longevity. We celebrate access, persistence, and completion.

What began in 2016 as a bold collaboration between San José State University and the East Side Alliance has evolved into a proven regional model. By aligning expectations, expanding A–G access, strengthening financial literacy, supporting summer transitions, and promoting college savings, we have worked to ensure that students are not only admitted — but equipped to thrive.

The Promise has always been about more than eligibility. It is about readiness. It is about navigation. It is about helping students move from aspiration to graduation.

Over the past decade, thousands of East Side graduates have enrolled at SJSU. Many are now degree holders contributing to our local economy, uplifting their families, and serving as role models in their communities. That ripple effect is transformative.

This milestone is also a reminder that our work continues. While college access has improved, persistence and completion must remain our focus. Financial barriers, academic preparation gaps, and the complexity of navigating higher education still challenge too many capable students.

The next decade will focus on deepening impact — strengthening alignment, expanding early college and savings participation, enhancing mentorship, and supporting students through graduation and into meaningful careers.

For the East Side Education Foundation, our role remains steadfast: advocate, connector, and champion for students and families. We will continue to support transition programs, family engagement efforts, and initiatives that reinforce a college-going mindset long before students set foot on a university campus.

The true measure of the Spartan East Side Promise is not enrollment alone. It is completion. It is workforce readiness. It is economic mobility. It is families changed — and communities strengthened.

We are grateful to our partners at San José State University, the East Side Alliance districts, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Excite Credit Union, our civic leaders, and the donors whose belief in East Side students makes this work possible.

Ten years ago, we made a promise of access.

On November 13, as we gather at The Tech Interactive to celebrate this milestone, we will honor not only a decade of partnership — but a decade of possibility realized.

And together, we will renew that promise for the next generation of East Side students.

Dan Moser,

Executive Director of the East Side Education Foundation

Celebrating 10 Years of the Spartan East Side Promise

In 2016, the Spartan East Side Promise (SESP) was launched through a powerful partnership among San José State University, the East Side Education Foundation (ESEF), the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, and the East Side Alliance — comprised of the East Side Union High School District and its seven elementary feeder districts.

Over the past decade, ESEF has been a steadfast advocate for the Spartan East Side Promise, ensuring that students and families throughout the East Side Alliance understand and take advantage of this critical pathway to college.

Beyond advocacy, ESEF has strengthened the Promise through:

• Support of the Spartan Summer Orientation Program for ESUHSD graduates entering their first year at SJSU
• Partnership with Excite Credit Union to implement a College Savings Program — a proven strategy shown to increase the likelihood of earning a college degree
• Ongoing collaboration with four university presidents whose leadership has been vital to sustaining and growing the SESP
• Providing $197,000 in scholarships to first year students and returning students

We are especially grateful to current SJSU President Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, who has not only supported the Spartan East Side Promise but embraced it wholeheartedly, with plans to expand its impact even further.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Spartan East Side Promise, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone at our Annual East Side Education Foundation Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, November 13, once again at The Tech Interactive in downtown San José. Please save the date as we celebrate a decade of opportunity and partnership.

Our mission is to support the students within the East Side through innovative programs. You can help us achieve that mission.

2026 Hall of Fame Nominations

Nominations are now open for the Thomas P. Ryan Hall of Fame. Nominate someone for the Class of 2026 by visiting this this form.The deadline is June 30, 2026.

Scholarship Awards Night

The highlight of our year is the scholarship awards night! On February 4th, 21 students received their scholarships. The scholarship winners are San José State students participated in the Spartan East Side Promise, a program that offers support and mentorship to SJSU students who graduated from schools in the East Side Alliance. 

We are grateful to our donors, especially the House Family Foundation for their support. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our scholarship sponsors:

Thank you to President Cynthia Teniente Matson for speaking to the students and families, congratulating them and encouraging them to continue with their studies. Our Executive Director Dan Moser shared some of the more inspirational scholarship application quotes that students submitted, while ESUSHD assistant superintendent Tom Huynh spoke eloquently about what it meant for him to see students who he knew while a high school principal within the ESUHSD here that evening receiving a scholarship and continuing their higher education.

Congratulations to the 2025 cohort of Spartan East Side Promise Scholarship Award Winners!

College Preparedness Forum

On January 20th, ESEF partnered with the Silicon Valley Education Foundation to host an informative forum focused on high school college preparedness.

ESEF Board President Manny Barbara revisited the issue of A–G course completion and college readiness, referencing the 2016 paper High School and College Readiness in the Common Core Era. The forum examined how much progress has been made — and what challenges remain.

Lisa Andrew, Executive Director of SVEF, presented current A–G completion data and compared it with data from nine years ago, offering important insights into trends and areas needing attention.

ESEF Executive Director Dan Moser emphasized the long-term value and economic importance of earning a college degree.

Two expert panels engaged in thoughtful discussion:

Panel One: School District and University Leadership

• Nancy Albarran, Superintendent, San José Unified
• Robert Bravo, Superintendent, Campbell Union High School District
• Glenn Vander Zee, Superintendent, East Side Union High School District
• Andrew Wright, Senior Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, San José
  State University

Panel Two: Nonprofit and Business Leadership

• Ron Gonzales, Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley
• Barry Groves, President and CEO, WASC, Accrediting Commision
• D John Miller, Chairman and CEO, DJM Capital
• Francisca Sanchez, ESEF Board Vice President

The discussion underscored the shared responsibility of K–12 districts, higher education institutions, nonprofit partners, and the business community in ensuring that students are truly prepared for college success.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate ten years of the Spartan East Side Promise, we remain committed to expanding opportunity, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring that every East Side student has a clear and supported pathway to college.

Together, we are building not only college access — but college success.