Career Day 2026 Expanding Networks, Opportunity and Outcomes
Showcasing Impact, Leadership, and the Power of Education
Career Day 2026 powerfully reflected the Reach for Excellence mission in action, connecting scholars with accomplished professionals and alumni whose journeys demonstrate the long-term impact of education, mentorship, and opportunity.
This year’s program featured a student-moderated panel followed by small-group mentoring conversations. This created meaningful space for dialogue about leadership, resilience, college pathways, and career growth. Scholars were able to ask candid questions, receive practical advice, and envision futures that may once have felt out of reach.
Students from low-income communities are far less likely to have access to professional networks or career role models, a gap that research shows directly shapes long-term income and opportunity. Young people from higher-income families are nearly twice as likely to grow up with mentors who guide them toward college and professional careers. Without that exposure, talented students may never see what is possible.
Career Day changes this reality by placing Reach scholars face-to-face with leaders who expand their horizons, build confidence, and open doors that can alter life trajectories.
Three Reach alumni returned this year as Career Day speakers, powerfully demonstrating the long-term outcomes of Reach’s investment in education, leadership development, and access to opportunity. This year’s speakers included:
- David “DC” Coleman II, Marist School Class of 2020 and dual-degree engineering student at Morehouse College and Georgia Institute of Technology
- Reach alum Cinthya Juárez Duran, now a 6th grade mathematics teacher at DeKalb PATH Academy and graduate of The Galloway School and Oglethorpe University
- Zack Hodges, a Harvard graduate and former NFL linebacker with the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams
- Reach alum Mae Murray, a healthcare professional and graduate of Midtown High School and Georgia State University.
- Eryn Rogers, Emmy Award-winning journalist with WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News, Marist School Class of 2008 and graduate of Northwestern University
- Reach alum Veronica Valencia, private equity associate at Heritage Growth Partners and graduate of The Westminster Schools, Wellesley College, and University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Career Day remains one of the clearest reflections of donor impact in action, where aspiration meets achievement and where today’s scholars begin to envision themselves as tomorrow’s leaders. A Moment That Matters
Throughout the morning, scholars engaged in thoughtful conversations about college choices, navigating challenges, building confidence, and giving back to their communities.
Seeing Reach alumni thriving alongside accomplished professionals reinforced a powerful message: when students are surrounded by mentorship and opportunity, their futures expand.
Continue Opening Doors for Reach Scholars
Career Day is just one example of how your generosity expands access, builds confidence, and connects scholars to opportunities they might not otherwise have.
With your continued support, Reach can provide mentorship, academic enrichment, college guidance, and life-changing experiences that shape futures for years to come.
Together, we are not just preparing students for success.
We are building networks. We are building leaders. We are building futures.
With gratitude,
Dr. Linda Lehmil