Forty Under 40 Ashley E. Garcia Quintana
age
26
Chief of operations, Bridges Strategies
Ashley Quintana has a mantra, which she first heard in elementary school in Harlingen, Texas — “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” — that she relates to in a profound way. “The past is my teacher; I learn from it. My Latina heritage, my God, my amazing counselors and professors, my parents and my brother and sisters have shaped me,” she said. “The present is a blank canvas, where I paint every day. ... The future is what I look forward to. In my mind, a successful life is found when you balance the three: past, present and future.” She’s a fierce businesswoman, and the two-year-old company she co-founded with a partner and a $10,000 investment, Bridges Strategies, is a multicultural success story. Quintana constantly gives back and serves others for very personal reasons. “I was born to an immigrant family in Harlingen, Texas. Spanish is my first language; I started learning English in kindergarten in Oklahoma City,” Quintana said. “I am the first in my family to graduate college with an undergraduate and graduate degree.” She donates to Oklahoma City Police Athletic League, led the development and execution of a bilingual voter registration campaign and every year, she travels to Mexico with donations for children living in poverty.
“When I was a first-year teacher in Houston, I decided that my dream was to become an urban school district superintendent by the age of 40,” she said. “For the last 16 years, I have been very open about the fact that this was my dream and that my career has been devoted to achieving that goal.” On July 1, it happened. It’s without a doubt a huge achievement, but it’s not the only impressive item on her vitae. She was the subject of a book written by Teach for America, Ms. Lora’s Story. She also founded a school, Tubman Middle School/Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Young Women, in 2005 in Portland. Lora holds a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University, another master’s degree in education with principal certification from the University of St. Thomas in Houston and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from University of Texas at Austin. “So far, my experience as superintendent has been better than I even imagined. I love this city. I love my job. I love the my employees and students and feel so supported by so many community partners who are stepping up to help our school district during difficult budget times,” she said.
Aurora Lora Superintendent, Oklahoma City Public Schools
4
2 0 1 6 f o r t y u n d e r 4 0 | O KC . B I Z
age
39