Allyson Alberto Smith

Allyson Alberto Smith was born and raised in San Francisco where she attended Catholic school from Kinder-8th grade. Growing up she aspired to be the next Oprah Winfrey and become a talk show host, so what better place to go to college but in Southern California, home of the Hollywood stars?

As a first-generation Filipino-American college student, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism and a minor in Sociology at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). When Allyson joined a service organization and tutored inner-city kids who, just like her, needed that extra motivation, she found her happiness and realized that her true calling was in Catholic education, specifically in the inner-city.

She received her first Master’s at LMU in Special Education as a member of the PLACE Corps Program and a second Master’s (again as an LMU lion) in Catholic School Administration. She was placed at Immaculate Heart of Mary School as a junior high math and science teacher in the PLACE Corps program in 2008 and was blessed to have continued her ministry there as its principal for eight years. She was a mentor principal for the Onward Leaders program for four years. Allyson hopes to bring this program to a new level as she has a clear view of where it has been and how it has evolved.