Our names are Erin and Spencer Schultz, and over the years we have become deeply rooted in the Vacaville community. Erin has been a teacher in the Vacaville School District since 2015. Supporting the whole student, with it be with their academic, social, cognitive, or emotional development, has always been at the core of her pedagogy. Over the years, Erin has been inspired by her work coaching students through Girls on the Run at Markham Elementary School and at Vaca Peña Middle School, where she’s witnessed firsthand how athletics can positively shape the lives of young people—building confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
We moved to Vacaville as a family in 2019, shortly after our son Logan was born. With both of us growing up immersed in the athletic communities of Fairfield (Spencer) and Morgan Hill (Erin), we knew the importance of introducing Logan to sports at a young age. Since beginning his athletic career with Lil' Kickers at the ripe age of 18 months, we have been fortunate enough to become a part of the basketball, grappling, and baseball communities in town.
Spencer, a veteran of the US Marine Corps, joined the VUSD family in 2021 as a Student Reengagement Specialist. It was in this role that he saw a need for alternative activities for students to engage in after school. In 2022, he piloted an after school program at Vaca Peña that taught students the fundamentals of weight lifting. After seeing the positive impact this opportunity had on the students involved, both through fostering healthy habits and cultivating positive connections, the vision for Solano Beacon was born.
