Alia Smith mccants

Alia McCants is Relay Graduate School of Education's first Director of Alumni Affairs, tasked with building out the department to support Relay's alumni around the country. 

Alia attended Spelman College, where she became passionate about education through her volunteer work in Atlanta Public Schools. Following graduation, she began a career at the Match Charter Public High School in Boston, eventually overseeing the Match Corps program. After seven years at Match, with an even deeper commitment to improving education and a desire to increase her impact, Alia moved to New York to attend Columbia Business School. There, she spearheaded several initiatives to enhance the instructional and student cultures of the School. 

Upon earning her MBA, Alia joined Relay Graduate School of Education in the new role of Director of Operations. In that role, she oversaw program operations for Relay's largest campus and its national and local school leadership programs before transitioning to alumni affairs. 

Alia originally hails from San Jose, California. Having been raised by an educator and a jazz singer, she considers herself a quirky mixture of both. She strives to live the values of courage, perseverance, and gratitude. And she loves her husband, their twin babies, and whiskey sidecars.