# Silvia Mahan

> Silvia Scandar Mahan is the President and CEO of Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School, a Catholic college-preparatory institution in San Jose's East Side that integrates professional work experience into its curriculum for students from underserved communities. A Harvard economics graduate and Georgetown Law alumna, she came to education through a winding path that took her from Skadden Arps to e-commerce entrepreneurship to social impact filmmaking, before finding her calling advocating for educational equity. Named a 2022 Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree and Woman of Influence, she leads a school where 98% of students enroll in college and 100+ corporate partners — from Cisco to NVIDIA to Kaiser Permanente — employ students one day per week to fund up to 50% of their tuition.

- **Role:** President and CEO at Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School & Corporate Work Study Program
- **Organizations:** Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School & Corporate Work Study Program, Innovate Public Schools, Alpha Public Schools, Generation Citizen, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- **From:** Miami, Florida, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** A.B. in Economics, Harvard College, J.D., Georgetown University Law Center
- **Known for:** Silicon Valley Business Journal 2022 40 Under 40 honoree, Silicon Valley Business Journal Woman of Influence (2025), Led Cristo Rey San José to 98% annual student retention rate

## Career timeline

- **2001-2005** — Studied Economics at Harvard College
- **2006-2009** — Attended Georgetown Law; earned J.D.
- **2010-2011** — Associate Attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- **2011-2015** — Founded and operated an e-commerce company; produced social impact films
- **2016-2017** — Senior Manager, Digital Advocacy and Community Engagement at Innovate Public Schools
- **2017-2021** — Regional Vice President for San José at Innovate Public Schools
- **2021** — Appointed President and CEO of Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School (began April 5, 2021)
- **2022** — Named Silicon Valley Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree
- **2024** — Co-authored opinion piece in The Hechinger Report on FAFSA failures and college access
- **2025** — Named Silicon Valley Business Journal Woman of Influence

## Achievements

- Silicon Valley Business Journal 2022 40 Under 40 honoree
- Silicon Valley Business Journal Woman of Influence (2025)
- Led Cristo Rey San José to 98% annual student retention rate
- Grew school's corporate partner network to 100+ companies including Cisco, NVIDIA, Kaiser Permanente, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Morrison Foerster
- Secured $862,000 five-year City of San Jose grant to expand Corporate Work Study Program
- Achieved 98% college enrollment rate for graduating students
- Former Board Chair, Generation Citizen (San Francisco Bay Area chapter)
- Former Board Member, Alpha Public Schools
- Advocated for equitable distance learning during COVID-19 for San José Unified School District

## Latest updates

- **2025** — Named Silicon Valley Business Journal Woman of Influence
- **2024-10** — Co-authored opinion in The Hechinger Report: 'We fear our students will be shut out of college due to FAFSA failures'
- **2023-06** — Cristo Rey San José secured a 5-year, $862,000 City of San Jose grant to support Corporate Work Study Program for 15 students placed in city departments

## Links

- Website: https://cristoreysanjose.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviamahan
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/CRSJJHS

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/silvia-mahan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-06