Alumni of the Year
Alumni Making an Impact Toward Education Excellence
Each year, Teach For America Greater Chicago-Northwest Indiana honors alumni who are shaping educational excellence across classrooms, schools, and systems in our region. These Alumni of the Year Awards recognize exceptional teachers, school leaders, and systems leaders whose leadership creates meaningful, measurable impact for students. Each honoree will receive a $5,000 award.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us identify and celebrate the alumni whose dedication and results deserve recognition. We are uplifting our network of changemakers and recognizing the educators and leaders making a measurable difference for students across our region.
Teacher of the Year
The Frances and Elliot Lehman Alumni of the Year Award
Honors a TFA alum who is leading a classroom in Greater Chicago—Northwest Indiana, whose practices exemplify and sustain educational excellence.
Brittany Parks
College Counselor
Noble Schools
Deleware ’13
Brittany Parks (Delaware ’13) is a College Counselor at Noble Schools who has transformed how students navigate college access and decision-making. Through a data-driven, student-centered approach, she has helped more than 90% of her students choose best-fit colleges and up to 96% secure financial award letters, significantly improving long-term persistence outcomes.
School Leader of the Year
The Zell Family Alumni Award
Honors a TFA alum who is leading a school in the Greater Chicago—Northwest Indiana region whose leadership has transformed teaching, learning, and school culture.
Tierionna Pinkston
Principal
The Noble Academy
Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana ’11
Tierionna Pinkston (Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana ’11) is the Principal of The Noble Academy, where she has led a comprehensive school transformation grounded in equity, excellence, and community trust. Under her leadership, the school has seen dramatic gains in safety, staff retention, and academic growth, demonstrating the power of justice-centered leadership.
Systems Leader of the Year
Honors a TFA alum in the Greater Chicago—Northwest Indiana region who leads at an organizational, community, or sector level, within or beyond education, and whose systems-level work has produced measurable results for students or schools.
Jonathan Chaparro
Chief Regional Success & Innovation Officer
Braven
Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana ’08
Jonathan Chaparro (Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana ’08) is the Chief Regional Success & Innovation Officer at Braven, where he leads national efforts to strengthen the college-to-career pipeline for first-generation and low-income students. As a founding leader of Braven Chicago, he has helped scale innovative models that significantly improve graduation rates, career access, and postsecondary outcomes for thousands of students.
