ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019 OVER $7,000,000 RAISED 406GRADUATES 2 Gates Over 3 Millennium Posse Scholars Questbridge5 208 Scholar Scholars Hours of Community Acceptances at Service 99High Schools ACCEPTANCES AT 2 JACK KENT Acceptances at COOKE 1 SCHOLARS 155 EVANS COLLEGES 19 Graduate Schools SCHOLAR LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Wearing red, yellow, and white T-shirts, ninety-four students representing Cohorts 2019 Q, 2020 R, and 2021 S began the About Reach for Excellence Reach for Excellence is a non-profit, classroom based academic, and leadership enrichment program. 2019 Summer Session on June 6! Carpool vehicles and six mini In 2001, this program was begun by the Marist Fathers and Brothers, who also operate Marist School in busses arrived early in the morning, transporting eager scholars Atlanta, Georgia. Through its mix of academic, cultural, and community based experiences, this tuition- free program prepares talented, limited income middle school students to meet the challenges of college ready to start the program! preparatory programs and high schools. Students, along with their families, commit to three six-week An exciting addition to the curriculum was Programming in Java! Scholars learned about designing programs that included summer sessions and three years of Saturday sessions throughout the school year. the use of robots and drones. Cohort 2019 Q participated in two special programs, the one week program “Wheels of Dreams” and the two-week DeKalb County program “Youth De-Coded”. The programs focused on building confidence, Dear Friends and Supporters of Reach For Excellence, strengthening communication and organizational skills, and understanding the necessary pathway to college and beyond. Youth De-Coded also included developing computer science skills reinforcing Cohort 2019’s programming skills! I am pleased to report that in the 2018–2019 school year, Reach had a record number of individuals support the program and received more Field trips experienced during the summer session included Stone Mountain, Commscope, Wesleyan School, JA support than ever before. This is a credit to our mission of empowering Discovery Center at Gwinnett with UPS facilitators, Mercedes Benz Stadium, Turner Legal at CNN, The National middle school students to achieve at the highest levels regardless of the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Finan Templeton Laboratory, Providence Canyon, and Radium Springs! economic circumstances of their families. Once again, our Cohort 2019 Q Community Service at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantries and Donation/ Clearance Center in Chamblee was an “graduating” students—those who completed all three years in the program— integral part of Cohort 2019 Q’s summer experience. excelled. Our graduates will be attending a diverse set of college preparatory Guests visited and interacted with scholars and college interns on July 18, 2019, the second Summer Open high schools across the metropolitan Atlanta area, including Arabia Mountain House. During the “Stepping Up” Graduation ceremony on Saturday July 27, 2019, Mary Alemseghed, Cohort High School, Brookwood High School, Chamblee Charter High School, 2012 J, Marist School ‘2016, Georgia State University junior addressed Cohort 2019 Q. As a Reach for Excellence Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, Decatur High School, Holy Innocents’ graduate, Mary expressed words of encouragement and wisdom to her new fellow alumni. Episcopal School, Lakeside High School, Marist School, and Parkview High School. In addition to these recent graduates, we saw another 29 Reach New college and university acceptances by Cohort 2015 M, High School alumni complete their high school careers and head off to college—attending Class of 2019 included Clayton State, Colorado College, Eastern Michigan, prestigious schools such as Howard University, Northwestern University, GA Johnson and Wales, Northwestern, and Young Harris College! Scholarships Tech, Syracuse University, and UGA. We know from experience that through the awarded included Posse Foundation and the Chick Evans Caddie hard work, family support and commitment that was evident during their time in Scholarship. Graduate school acceptances include – Alabama College of the Reach program, they will continue to make us proud. Osteopathic Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory, and School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. None of this is possible without your generous support. We are keenly aware that there are many deserving non-profits and that resources are not unlimited. But From Zachary Roberts, Cohort 2013 K, Marist School ‘2017, junior at I cannot think of a better way to help transform our community than investing Georgia State University – I just received notice that I have earned the in the students that Reach serves. We very much appreciate your past support GPA to be on the President’s List at Georgia State University for the third and look forward to counting on you again this coming year. Please enjoy reading consecutive semester. This accomplishment got me thinking about all of more about our year in this annual report. the people who allowed for this success in college to be possible. I am truly blessed to have been a part of Reach for Excellence. I have no idea where Warm regards, I would be had it not been for these experiences in the most formative Rocco Testani Chairman of the Board years of my life, but I know that I may not have had the very real opportunity of fulfilling my dream of becoming a physician. Thank you for everything Reach for Excellence has done and continues to do for the children of Atlanta. Thank you! With much gratitude, Karen A. Dessables Executive Director SPONSORS SPONSORS August 1, 2018–July 31, 2019 $50,000 and above $2,500 – $4,999 Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Michaud Tim Cambias Memorial Scholarship Hon. & Mrs. Philip F. Etheridge Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Naughton Goizueta Foundation Katherine Russell Bellman Donor Trieger Fund of the Jewish Community Fund Participants and Sponsors Mr. & Mrs. Dave Felty Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Neel Advised Fund/CFNG Foundation of San Diego Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. David Fitzgerald Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Nordstrom $30,000 – $49,999 Mr. & Mrs. James Butler Mr. & Mrs. Sal Arias Mr. & Mrs. Robert Fitzgerald Mr. & Mrs. Derek Odegard Mr. & Mrs. W. James MacGinnitie Catholic Foundation of North Georgia $100 - $249 Mr. & Mrs. Phil Beeson Ms. Whitney W. Frank Mr. & Mrs. Kevin O’Donnell The Society of Mary CKC Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Peter Alexander Ms. Denise Boyd Mr. & Mrs. Mack Freudenstein Mr. & Mrs. Solon Patterson Mr. & Mrs. Tim Connolly Mr. & Mrs. Sal Arias Mr. & Mrs. Jim Brewster Mr. & Mrs. Scott Genone Mr. & Mrs. Brian Peters $15,000 – $29,999 Havertys Mr. & Mrs. Lee Berg Mr. & Mrs. Norman L. Brothers, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Gordon Mr. & Mrs. Steve Raeber Mr. & Mrs. Andy Monin Mr. & Mrs. Walter Hoff Shirley and Simcha Peretz Brickman Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bruni John. S. Gordon Family Charitable Fund Mrs. Carol Rich The Patterson Family Foundation Dr. Andrew MacGinnitie Family Philanthropic Fund JFGA Mr. & Mrs. Mike Buchanan Ms. Alice F. Horney Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Robb Sara Giles Moore Foundation Mr. & Mrs. John Meyers Mr. & Mrs. John Buyarski Mr. & Mrs. James Butler Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Hurst Mr. & Mrs. David Sikes Sartain Lanier Family Foundation M. Winnifred O’Dell Donor Advised Ms. Colleen Cote Mr. & Mrs. James Byrne Mr. & Mrs. Robert Larmore Mr. & Mrs. Cal Smith UPS Foundation Fund of the CFGA Ms. Mireille Dessables Mr. & Mrs. Stewart Calhoun Mr. & Mrs. Douglas MacGinnitie Mr. & Mrs. Asbury (Major) Snow Mabel D. Reeder Donor Advised IHO Karen Dessables Mrs. Kimberly Cambias Mr. & Mrs. W. James MacGinnitie Mr. & Mrs. Fred Sturgis $10,000 – $14,999 Fund of the CFGA Mrs. Elizabeth Etoll Ms. Natalie Smith Childs Mr. & Mrs. Charles Markwalter Mr. & Mrs. Wade Stribling Ms. Barbara Nye & Mr. & Mrs. Mark Westfall/Coke Match Mrs. Sheronda Hardy Dr. & Mrs. Victor Corrigan Mr. & Mrs. Dale Maulding Ms. Maureen Sullivan Mr. John Bourbonnais Home Depot Match/Frederic Hoger Ms. Krista Cosgrove Mr. & Mrs. Sean McLaren Mr. & Mrs. James Talley The Edward Colston Foundation $1,000 – $2,499 Marist Parents Club Mr. & Mrs. David Crawford Mr. & Mrs. Taylor Mefford Mr. & Mrs. Rocco Testani Mrs. Marie B. Crean Mr. & Mrs. Michael Buchanan IHO 2018–2019 Co-Chairs Mr. & Mrs. Francisco Cuevas Mr. & Mrs. John Meyers Alison & Joe Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Richard D’Amaro Citizens Bank Matching Gift/Mr & Mr. & Mrs. Carlos Navarro Mr. & Mrs. Richard D’Amaro Mr. & Mrs. David Miles Mr. & Mrs. John Utsch DeKalb County Human Services Grant Mrs. Brian Peters Network for Good Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Davey Mr. & Mrs. Jack Minson Ms. Grace Uttaroti Nordson Corporation Foundation Home Depot Matching Gift/ Mr. Haydi Seyfi IHO Karen Dessables Mr. & Mrs. William DeButts Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Morgan Mr. & Mrs. Michael Walsh Mr. & Mrs. Steve Raeber Candace Rodriguez Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Seymour Ms. Susan DeDeyn Mr. & Mrs. Norman L. Moore, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Richard White Mr. & Mrs. Keith Keller Softgivng/Jared Alexander, Mr. & Mrs. Mark De St. Aubin Mr. & Mrs. Robert Morrison Mr. & Mrs. Chip Wood $7,500 – $9,999 Mr. & Mrs. Charles Markwalter Jordan Snellings, Veronica Valencia Mr. & Mrs. James Dorsey, Jr. Mullins Builders The Jim and Maura Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Dale Maulding Ms. Maria Garcia Solsrud Charitable Fund Mr. & Mrs. Norman L. Moore, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Sergio Stadler Mr. & Mrs. Sam Robb Mr. & Mrs. Terrance Walsh $5,000 – $7,499 Mr. & Mrs. Robert Rodriguez Dr. Kathryn Wood & Mr. Chip Wood 93% of Reach for Excellence 2019 ARRIS International, plc. Alex and Betty Smith Donor Advised Fund Mr. & Mrs. Jim Brewster Turner Broadcasting/WarnerMedia Legal $50 – $99 John and Mary Franklin Foundation Turner Broadcasting/Warner Media Amazon Smiles High School graduates enrolled in college. Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP Matching Gift Patty Butler Anonymous Home Depot Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Ken Athaide IHO Gigi Meyers Mr. & Mrs. David Miles $500 – $999 Mr. & Mrs. Lee Berg Mr. & Mrs. Asbury (Major) Snow Mr.