Academic All-Star
Dr. Althea Ford’s life has been shaped by two driving passions: education and sports. A former student-athlete turned visionary educator, she has dedicated her career to transforming schools and shaping young minds.
For over two decades, Althea has served as Principal at two schools on the same block in Los Angeles. During her leadership at Beethoven Elementary, the school was recognized as a California Distinguished School. At Mark Twain Middle School, Althea led the school’s transformation from one struggling with declining enrollment and into one of the most sought-after schools on Los Angeles’ Westside. Her leadership has brought excellence in education, joy to learning, championship sports teams, and competitive academic teams to the Mar Vista community. Althea’s exceptional contributions have earned her multiple accolades, both within and beyond the Los Angeles Unified School District, including being named one of the 100 most influential people in Los Angeles by Alta Magazine: A Human Atlas of a City of Angels. Her story and image were featured at the Getty Museum and will be showcased at various public libraries.
Althea’s achievement in her second passion—sports—has been just as notable. As a key player on Coach Joel Ascher’s August Martin High School girls’ basketball team in New York, she helped lead the team to three consecutive City titles, two New York State Championships, and an impressive 80 wins out of 82 games. Averaging 13 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocked shots per game, Althea earned All-American honors from USA Today, Parade Magazine, and Street & Smith in her senior year, securing a Division I scholarship to UCLA. As a Bruin, she continued to excel, earning season highs in both points and rebounds through her determination and relentless work ethic. After UCLA, she took her talents to Spain, where she played professionally while mastering the Spanish language. She is honored on UCLA’s Wall of Fame.
Both of Althea’s passions opened the door to a distinguished academic career. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Cal State Dominguez Hills, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from USC.
How did a carefree rambunctious little girl from the small town of Clarendon, Jamaica who climbed trees and raced boys become such a notable individual? Her drive and resilience were shaped by the women in her life—her mother, Rezna Miller, who rose from a seamstress to a successful entrepreneur; her sisters, Ionie “Gem” McPherson, a dedicated teacher; Lorna Johnson, an accomplished entrepreneur; and Judith Kirkpatrick, a successful businesswoman.
Althea’s greatest joy comes from her family. She and her husband, Rodrick Sangster, are the proud parents of two sons, Joshua and Matthew. Althea is always reminding them that, as student-athletes, they must prioritize being students first. True to their mother’s legacy, both boys share her passion for basketball. Matthew excels academically while Joshua, now standing 6’5”, has become a dunking sensation—a fitting tribute to Althea, who, at just 16 years old was one of the few female players—and the shortest—to ever dunk a basketball.
