Alex Serna’s life is a testament to the transformative power of education. From graduating high school with a 2.1 GPA as a teen parent to earning a Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a Master’s degree from UCLA—all while raising four daughters with his partner by the age of 24—Alex has defied the odds.

As Chief Operating Officer at Breakthrough Collaborative, and formerly Chief Program Officer, Alex oversees the organization’s efforts to support 10,000 students and 1,000 teaching fellows annually across 25 sites nationwide in the country’s largest Teacher Pathway program. Previously, as Executive Director at Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, a local affiliate of Breakthrough Collaborative, Alex significantly increased the program’s sustainability, growing its endowment beyond $1 million and expanding support to guide students from middle school through college graduation.

Beyond his professional achievements, Alex is deeply committed to educational equity. He serves on the boards of Elevate Teaching and the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers and is a member of The Education Trust—West's Strategic Advisor Council. His work has been featured in The New York Times, EdSurge, The Hechinger Report, and NACAC's Journal of College Admissions.

Alex has shared his insights as a presenter at Arizona State University’s Next Education Workforce Summit, the AmeriCorps National Symposium, the Coalition to Reimagine the Teacher Role, and The Hunt Institute.

Alex balances his professional impact with personal growth as a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and an Olympic weightlifting enthusiast. When not training, he enjoys spending time with his German shepherd and his partner, raising their four teenage daughters in San Diego. Alex remains inspired by the potential of education to change lives.