BES Fellowship Testimonial 2025 BES Fellow Dr. Jay Samant (Phoenix, AZ)

For nearly 25 years, BES Fellows have been designing, founding, and leading K-12 public schools that reflect and respond to community needs. In a span of four or five years, BES provides them with training and post-authorization support to ensure their schools start strong and sustain excellence over time. 

In addition to BES partnering with local and national partners who give additional support, our coaches help to guide Fellows in school design, governance, finance, operations, and more. 

Dr. Jay Samant is a 2025 BES Character & Equity Fellow in the Build Track. Also supported by AZ Leads and the Kern Family Foundation, he is the Proposed Founder & CEO of Zenith College and Career Prep in Phoenix, AZ. Take a look below at what he had to say about his journey so far in the BES Fellowship. 

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Joining the BES Fellowship

“After more than 16 years serving in K–12 and higher education leadership roles, I reached a point in my journey where I wanted to deepen my impact and continue growing as a more versatile, reflective leader. While I had led schools and systems, I felt a strong calling to build something more intentionally alongside students, families, and communities.

As I began developing the vision for Zenith College and Career Prep, a new public high school in Phoenix, I knew I wanted to design a school with families, one that reflects the cultural and linguistic richness of the community and responds to students’ individual strengths, aspirations, and goals. I also knew that doing this work well would require me to stretch beyond what I already knew, particularly in areas like governance, finance, and long-term sustainability.

BES stood out because it supports leaders at that intersection of experience and growth. It offered the opportunity to refine my leadership, sharpen my thinking, and build with both rigor and humility. BES felt like the right partner because it understands that lasting impact comes not just from strong ideas, but from leaders who are willing to listen deeply, learn continuously, and build alongside communities with care and purpose.”

Key Learnings in School Leadership

“One of the most meaningful shifts in my leadership has been learning to lead with greater intentionality and systems thinking. BES helped me step back and view school leadership as an ecosystem, where governance, finance, talent, and community engagement must work together to create lasting impact.

I’ve also grown more confident in balancing data with lived experience. Through BES, I strengthened my ability to analyze educational and community landscapes across Phoenix while staying grounded in what families are telling us they want: schools that feel personal, affirming, and connected to real opportunities beyond graduation.”

Support from BES

“BES provided support that was both rigorous and deeply meaningful. Through coaching, structured reflection, and fellowship learning, I strengthened my understanding of board governance, financial planning, and authorizer readiness, critical areas for building schools that are sustainable and well stewarded over time.

Equally impactful were the opportunities to engage in residencies and school visits across the country. Learning directly from CEOs and school leadership teams at high-performing schools allowed me to see what is possible when vision, systems, and culture are aligned. Experiencing school models that are often talked about as aspirational; come to life in real classrooms, serving real students, was both affirming and grounding. It reinforced that excellence, equity, and strong outcomes can coexist, and that these models are not theoretical, they are achievable.

Throughout this experience, BES staff showed up with consistency, care, and high expectations. They asked thoughtful questions, pushed my thinking, and created space for honest reflection, all while anchoring the work in purpose and values. That balance helped transform big ideas into actionable, community-centered plans and strengthened my confidence as a leader committed to building something enduring.”

Proudest Moments

“Some of my proudest moments as a school leader have come from listening, learning, and building alongside others. Engaging in listening sessions with students, families, and educators across Phoenix, gathering both qualitative insights and quantitative data—has been foundational to shaping the vision for Zenith. That feedback has not been a one-time input, but an ongoing guide, helping us continually refine the school model to better reflect community needs, strengths, and aspirations.

I’m also deeply proud of the partnerships and relationships I’ve been able to build across Phoenix with education institutions, nonprofits, community and DEI-focused organizations, and local businesses. As someone who did not grow up in Phoenix, stepping into this work required humility and courage. It was not always easy to know where to start, and there were moments when building trust and connection felt daunting. Over time, through service, leadership roles, and active participation in community organizations, those relationships have grown into a true sense of belonging.

Equally meaningful has been assembling a diverse and mission-aligned founding board, even before authorization. Bringing together leaders with varied expertise across education, finance, law, economics, real estate, talent development, and community leadership has been intentional and affirming. Their willingness to partner, listen, and steward this work collaboratively reinforces my belief that strong schools are built through shared responsibility.

Together, these relationships with families, partners, and board members have helped transform Phoenix from a place where I worked into a community I call home. That sense of trust, partnership, and shared purpose has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my leadership journey.”

Empowering the Next Cohort of School Founders

“I would share honestly that there will be moments when the work feels overwhelming. There are many moving parts, and at times it can feel like everything is happening at once. That’s part of building something meaningful.

In those moments, it’s essential to return to your why. To remember the students and families you are serving, the voices that shaped your vision, and the responsibility to build schools with communities, grounded in scholar voice, family partnership, and authentic collaboration. BES helped me hold onto that clarity when the work felt hardest.

High-quality, personalized, college and career connected schools don’t happen by accident. They happen because leaders are willing to step forward, build strong teams and boards, and commit to doing the work thoughtfully. Our students deserve schools built with care, intention, and belief in their potential, and that responsibility is worth the challenge.”

Gratitude

“I’m deeply grateful for the BES community—for the fellows, coaches, and staff who believe in what’s possible when leaders are supported to lead with integrity, courage, and compassion. This experience has reaffirmed my belief that education is one of the most powerful tools we have to expand opportunity—and that the best work happens when we build alongside communities, not ahead of them.”

Learn more about the BES Fellowship at bes.org/fellowship.