Meet Our Team
Kate Hyle
Executive Director
Experienced in education and crisis management, Kate Hyle has been an educator and leader in East Palo Alto for fourteen years. She taught middle school and was a high school advisor before becoming Assistant Principal at Aspire East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy. While at the Phoenix Academy, Kate had the opportunity to advise a small group of students from 8th grade to their high school graduation, which stoked her passion for college access work and solidified her commitment to doing direct service.
Her journey with EPAAF began in 2019, having been brought on as a contractor specializing in college success and persistence. She then joined the team full time in 2020 as the Director of Programs. Kate brings a community-centered approach to her work, leading her to launch the Postsecondary Support Program for scholars in community college and vocational programs in addition to sustaining the existing College Success Program. She brings the same approach to her leadership of the EPAAF team now as Executive Director, cultivating a people-positive team culture focused on wellness and dedication to our mission.
Kate has trained in Education and Counseling, having earned her Master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from San Jose State University. She has also received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from UC San Diego, as well as her teaching credential from CSU Dominguez Hills.
Suzanne Alberga
Director of Development
Suzanne Alberga joined the East Palo Alto Academy Foundation (EPPAF) team in September 2024 as its first Development Director. She brings more than 20 years of nonprofit experience as a nonprofit executive, consultant, and fundraiser. Before EPAAF, she was the development director at Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center and 1951 Coffee Company, two Bay Area social justice nonprofits. Suzanne also has extensive international experience. She was the Executive Director of the What If Foundation, where she raised funds to build a school and provide nutritional support for families in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port au Prince, Haiti, and worked in Cameroon and Botswana, providing organizational development support to nonprofits and in Thailand teaching English as a second language. Suzanne has been an active volunteer in her local public schools for 15 years - from literacy support in the classrooms to raising money and leading tours of the high school campus - she is committed to making the public schools a welcoming and enriching place for everyone.
Suzanne received her BA in history from Clark University and a Master's in Public Administration from George Washington University.
Maggie Garzon
Scholar Programs Manager
Maggie Garzon is a first-generation college student who graduated from UC Davis with a degree in history and minors in education and women’s studies. She is passionate about the intersectionality between education and social justice, particularly relating to college access.
Growing up in the Bay Area as a low-income, first-generation student, she experienced firsthand the disparity that exists within our community in regards to wealth distribution and the type of education students have access to. Having benefited from a college success program, she has witnessed firsthand the significance of being part of a program that works to meet the unique needs of underserved students as they head into college or plan their careers in a way that empowers them for success every step of the way.
She initially started her journey with EPAAF as a summer intern during her sophomore and junior year of college, and, after a year of being a college advisor at a high school in San Jose, she has now transitioned onto the team full-time.