Alfonso Alvarez serves the GEAR UP O+K=C team as a College Coach in Oklahoma City Public Schools. In this role, he follows the Check & Connect Student Engagement Intervention Model in mentoring students who need additional support to help them achieve consistent school attendance and academic success. He works directly with families, school staff, and community service providers to connect students to resources and remove barriers, with the long-term goal of preparation for post-secondary education. 

Alfonso was born in Mexico City and raised in Cancun, Mexico. He moved to Oklahoma in 2003 and began a career helping inner city youth reinvest in themselves and rebuild their futures. This included many years serving as a gang interventionist. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, fishing, refinishing furniture, and spending time with his wife and three children. He thrives on challenge and constantly sets new goals for himself. He believes that in order for students to be successful in school, they need to experience successes in their personal lives as well. He works to equip students with these tools by linking them with resources in the community, giving them encouragement, and helping them set goals—both personal and academic. 

Alfonso earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociocultural Studies from Hartford University.