LESLIE MILLER SAIONTZ

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, ACHIEVE MIAMI, MIAMI

Achieve Miami is an education nonprofit Saiontz founded in 2015 that provides academic and enrichment opportunities to help put the neediest students on a path to success. Achieve Miami offers elementary literacy and music programs, high school college and career readiness programs, and K-12 summer programs to combat summer learning regressions. Achieve Miami also manages a citywide service club that recruits public and private high school students from 60-plus schools to work together to tutor the younger kids. The organization also operates a Teacher Accelerator Program to recruit, prepare and mentor aspiring educators.

EDUCATION: Harvard University (AB)

IF I WERE GOVERNOR: I would increase education spending. Florida boasts the fourth-largest state economy and is the seventh-fastest-growing state by population, yet our per-capita school funding ranks 21st in the U.S. More dollars should be directed to recruiting and retaining educators.

READING: The Teachers, by Alexandra Robbins. It’s impossible to get inside the mind of a teacher without leading your own classroom, but this book does an excellent job illustrating what life is like for educators.

INSPIRING FLORIDIAN: My sixth-grade teacher at North Beach Elementary, Ms. Feller. She inspired me to develop a love of reading outside of my required studies.

MOTIVATIONAL MANTRA: Work hard; pay attention; think big.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED
“Integrity should drive decision-making. Never compromise your belief system.”