After being denied education, Sun Devil educates and inspires the next generation

Growing up in Denver, ASU alumni David Solano had the door to education shut in his face. He said that after his mother enrolled him in kindergarten after years of preschool and occupational therapy, the principal at his neighborhood school insisted that he couldn’t attend there because he wasn’t “truly an independent person,” citing that Solano couldn’t button clothing, tie his shoes or open milk cartons.

“I get those things. But I wore Velcro shoes. I didn’t like milk anyway. And I wore sweatpants. But the principal was firm,” Solano said. 

Solano was born with arthrogryposis, a condition that causes weak muscles and loss of joint movement. The use of his hands has been difficult but got better with surgery. He was able to attend kindergarten at a public school that was farther away after his mother kept fighting for him and got a child advocate. A few years later, he was able to access the neighborhood school that had previously refused him.

David Solano and his after-school program for Phoenix youth pose for a group shot.

Solano progressed through high school and later graduated from ASU with his degree in education. Soon after Solano had a great job interview and was offered a fourth grade teaching position on the spot. 

“I was denied education at the school that was my neighborhood school. And 18 years later, I'm now going to be a fourth grade teacher,” he remembered thinking.

It was especially emotional for his parents to see him go into a career in education.

“[My mom] broke down in tears, and she said all that battling was worth it. So I say sometimes in life when you have battles, you don’t know if you’re going to win those battles,” he said. “You take them with patience, and you take them with hard work, and you take them with perseverance and find the way to overcome the battles.”

Solano said his parents emphasized to him from his early life that he is able to do anything in his own way or with the help to make it accessible. Today, he is a fifth-grade science teacher at Palm Lane Elementary School and a junior high boys’ basketball coach at Raul H. Castro Middle School in Phoenix. He is also a motivational speaker in a video series called A Journey to Resilience and a founder of a nonprofit program, Solano’s No Limit Hoops. 

Solano’s journey through adversity has given him the opportunity to take his experiences and give back to his community by blazing trails and inspiring others. Solano was the first in his family to graduate from college. 

“In many ways, it was the greatest experience of my life, and I knew I went there carrying the hopes and dreams of my parents,” Solano said. 

Throughout his educational journey, Solano said he had struggled to find a sense of belonging. The biggest thing he took away from his experience at ASU was that by the time he graduated in 1998, he felt that he “belonged.”

Solano fosters that kind of community through his nonprofit, Solano’s No Limit Hoops, a free after-school basketball program that is hosted at Raul H. Castro Middle School. Solano realized there needed to be more after-school programs to keep kids engaged. The program provides a safe place for kids to hang out, socialize and play basketball during after-school hours. 

Solano describes the work he puts into his organization as giving back to the community.

“I love my school district, and I love the kids I work with,” he said.

He also emphasizes that his program is not a specific basketball team or club but a “basketball community” that is open to all.

Learn more about Solano and his work at his website.