Alejandro Diasgranados is a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Aiton Elementary School, located in Ward 7 of the District of Columbia. He grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where he attended High Point High School. In 2010, Diasgranados enrolled at Virginia State University, where he played football and received his Bachelor of Science in health science, then moved to Massachusetts and began physical therapy graduate school. During Diasgranados’ time in Massachusetts, a brief stint as a substitute teacher in Holyoke Public Schools ignited his passion for education, equity, and leveraging the strengths of a culturally wealthy community like Holyoke to reach his students.

This prompted Diasgranados to change course and apply to Teach for America (TFA). In 2015, Diasgranados returned home to embark on his teaching career in DC, while simultaneously pursuing his Master of Science in education from Johns Hopkins University. His students took note of his enthusiasm and commitment to higher education, so it came as no surprise to Aiton leadership when all 40 of Diasgranados’ students found a way to attend his JHU graduation ceremony in the spring of 2018.

As a TFA alum and teacher-leader, Diasgranados has provided his community with various access points, including a grant from the Washington Football Team for a school laundry center and a coat drive hosted with the Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Champion, Devante Smith-Pelly. Most recently, his school received 265 laptops to close the digital divide during COVID-19, due Diasgranados’ advocacy on the Drew Barrymore Show. He was also named the 2021 D.C. Teacher of the Year, a Finalist for the National Teacher of the Year Award, and recently received a surprise announcement as the National University Teacher of the Year on the Drew Barrymore Show.