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Reach for Excellence is a free program in Atlanta, founded in 2001, that prepares motivated middle school students of limited income for college preparatory high schools and supports them through college applications.

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September 2026 Newsletter

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Rocco Testani

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Missy Chambless

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Stephen Lathrop

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Grant Means

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Big news from the Reach family! Congratulations to An, Reach for Excellence Class of 2027, on being selected to serve on the Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent's Student Advisory Council for 2026–27! This honor is reserved for students who show leadership, integrity, and a real commitment to their school community. This year, An will bring student voices to the district's decisions and help shape the future of his schools. We've watched him grow into a confident leader, and we couldn't be prouder. 🪜⭐ #CommitToTheClimb #ReachForExcellence #StudentVoice #GCPS #FirstGen #FutureLeaders

Do you know a 6th grader who earns mostly A’s, scores high on state tests, and qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch? Come see Reach for Excellence in action at our Prospective Family Open House! Families will visit classrooms during a Saturday Session and connect with Reach alums. 📅 Saturday November 14th, 🕘 9:30am-11am | 📍 Marist School Campus RSVP: forms.gle/u3JQfq47CzfPgW8B8 #CommitToTheClimb

High school application season is here, and Reach for Excellence is hard at work supporting our families! In early October, we hosted a workshop where families set up their application portals for the schools they’re interested in. The workshop also kicked off one-on-one sessions, where the Reach team works with each family individually on their applications and helps them register for admissions events. #CommitToTheClimb To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit reachforexcellence.org

Reach for Excellence depends upon our board to operate successfully. John Utsch is a partner at Ernst and Young LLP. For more than seven years, John has leant his professional expertise to Reach for Excellence. As Finance Committee Chair, John helped review our annual audit and has been a regular on the Host Committee for our events. Thank you, John, for your board service! To donate, please visit www.reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

Reach for Excellence has several second-generation board members. Kelly Cambias Miles, whose father was among our first board members, set the trend. Kelly served on the board for 12 years, leading many wine dinners in support of the Tim Cambias Memorial Scholarship Fund. Thank you for your board service, Kelly! @kellycmiles To donate to the Tim Cambias Memorial Scholarship Fund, please visit: reachforexcellence.org/suppport-us and choose “Tim Cambias Scholarship”.

Reach for Excellence offers high school tutoring during our Saturday Sessions, and this year it’s led by one of our own! Charlotte H., a Reach alumna now studying at Georgia Tech, is helping our high school scholars in all core subjects. We’re so proud to see her come back to support the next generation of Reach students. #CommitToTheClimb To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit reachforexcellence.org

Reach 8th-grade scholars are hard at work preparing for the SSAT! Reach provides professional test preparation to help address opportunity gaps in standardized testing and ensure our scholars are prepared to compete for admission to private and independent high schools. To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit reachforexcellence.org

At the end of September, Reach for Excellence's Executive Director, Dr. Lehmil, visited Holy Innocents Episcopal School's HI-Lights event to learn what's new at the school and hear from faculty, students, and alums of the school. At this event, Dr. Lehmil connect with Reach alum, Cesar B., who was awarded the Alice L. Malcolm Headmaster's Award. This award is given to a rising senior who best exemplifies the philosophy of the school. We are proud of Cesar and our alums attending Holy Innocents Epsicopal School! @holyinnocentsofficial To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit reachforexcellence.org

A DAF is a Donor Advised Fund and Reach for Excellence ❤️ donations from them! To learn when you can use a DAF and if it is time to sign up for one, visit our website at https://reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

Coxe Curry creates strategies to help Atlanta nonprofits thrive. We were fortunate to have Vice President and Managing Director Lisa Maulding on our board for 12 years. Thank you, Lisa, for your board service! @lisamaulding To donate, please visit www.reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

Congratulations to Marist School on 125 years in Atlanta! We are grateful to Marist for the space and amenities that Reach for Excellence enjoys on campus and to the Society of Mary who founded the program to mark Marist’s Centennial. @maristschool To learn more, visit: http://marist.com/magazine/post-page/~board/marist-matters/post/reach-for-excellence-celebrates-25th-anniversary

Board members provide the wind beneath the wings of Reach for Excellence that allow us to soar. Jennifer Gordon, Executive Director of Talent Consuting at Chick-fl-a and a Marist School alumnus, served on our board of directors for more than five years. During her tenure, Jennifer led the Board Development Committee and recruited our current staff. Thank you, Jennifer, for your service! @gordonjennifert @maristalumni To donate, please visit www.reachforexcellence/support-us

Reach is grateful for a significant grant to support current scholar and alumni initiatives, capacity building, summer program evaluation, and general operating support. To learn more, visit georgiabulletin.org/news/2026/09/goizueta-foundation-supports-reach-for-excellence/ To donate, please visit www.reachforexcellence/support-us @georgiabulletin

Reach for Excellence could not accomplish what we do without our amazing Board of Directors. Therefore, we are highlighting those who are rolling off, starting with Norm Brothers, EVP & Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at UPS. We are grateful for Norm's long-term support of Reach and for that of UPS. Thank you, Norm! To donate to Reach for Excellence, please visit: www.reachforexcellence.org/support-us

Exploring new possibilities for high school! This summer, we welcomed Reach alumni attending boarding schools to shared their experiences with our current scholars and families. We are thrilled to see several Reach families considering boarding schools this application season! Some recently attended the Ten Schools Admission Organization (TSAO) Boarding School Fair to learn more about the opportunities available. At Reach, we are proud to support our scholars and families as they explore their high school options and find the right fit for their future. #ReachForExcellence #BoardingSchools #HighSchoolOpportunities #ReachAlumni #TSAO

High school application season is officially underway at Reach! 🎓 Reach 8th-grade families kicked off the journey by exploring private, independent, charter, magnet, and boarding school options. We were especially excited to welcome McCallie School (@mccallieschool) from Chattanooga to our High School Fair! Reach scholars have attended boarding schools across the country, with two currently at Miss Porter’s School (@misporters) and Phillips Academy Andover (@phillipsacademy). Opening doors. Expanding possibilities. #ReachForExcellence #HighSchoolJourney #BoardingSchool #EducationalOpportunity #AtlantaStudents

Reach for Excellence recently hosted our annual High School Fair, giving 8th-grade families the opportunity to learn more about private and independent high schools and begin conversations about what they are looking for in their student’s high school experience. A special highlight was seeing Reach alumni return to represent their high schools and share their experiences with our current families! Thank you to all the schools that joined us and to our wonderful alumni who came back to support the next generation of Reach scholars. @holyinnocentsofficial @maristschool @paceacademy @spxatl @gallowayschool @thepaideiaschool @westminsteratl @wesleyaninsta @mccallieschool

Reach for Excellence encourages our high school scholars to attend Pre-College Summer Programs to engage with their interest and broaden their perspectives. This summer, we had 5 students participating in programs like The Wharton Global Youth Program, Yale Young Global Scholars, Summer Academy at UPenn, Student Diplomacy Corp and Teen Experience and Leadership Program. We are so glad our scholars were able to experience living on college campuses, gain experience and participate in engaging lectures and projects. Stay tuned to hear more about their experiences!

As we ramp up the start of the school year, we want to congradulate all of our scholars who are being awarded academic honors this school year! We are excited to hear how our scholars are working hard in their academics. We are especially happy to congratulate Yacob & Yosef for being awarded the Gold Award for recognition of their high academic achievement.

Reach for Excellence is excited to announce that three of our students have been selected as Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars (@thejkcf)! This scholarship is awarded to around 50 middle schoolers from across the U.S. We are extremely proud of our scholars who were selected - An, Dariana and Yodahe!

At the start of the Saturday Sessions, Reach hosts mandatory parent meetings to share important reminders and program information. For our 7th grade students, we met with their parents this past session. It is a wonderful opportunity to check in with our families at the start of the school year. Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

What legacy will you leave? August is National Make-A-Will Month, a time to consider how to care for the people and values that we hold dear. Having a will ensures that your wishes will be honored, providing you with peace of mind. Thanks to the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia’s partnership with FreeWill, a free and secure estate planning tool, you can create or update your will in just 20 minutes. Visit FreeWill.com/catholicfoundation to create your will and email schmidm@reachforexcellence.org if you need our EIN or have already remembered Reach for Excellence, Inc, in your plans.

To kick off the start of the school year, Reach for Excellence hosted a high school transition workshop for 9th grade students and their parents. Reach shared tips on ways students can prepare for their high school experience and how parents can support their students. We also had simultaneous translation for our Spanish speaking families during the workshop. We are glad to reconnect with our scholars as they begin high school!

Reach for Excellence was published by the Georgia Bulletin (@georgiabulletin)! Read about our 25 anniversary by visiting georgiabulletin.org/news/2026/08/reach-for-excellence-marks-25th-anniversary/

Reach is back in Session! Our Saturday Session mornings include preparing the classrooms before our scholars begin to arrive. Stay tuned as we share more moments from our Saturday Sessions! Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

Reach for Excellence is wrapping up preparations for the start of the Saturday Sessions. We look forward to seeing our scholars back on campus! Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

At the end of the summer session, our interns organized a Spirit Week with various themes for students to dress up. We enjoyed seeing the students participate! Interested in supporting Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

This summer Reach had 9 interns throughout the summer session. We are thankful for our interns support this summer. Our scholars loved interacting with the Reach alums and hearing their advice for high school. Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

As we approach the beginning of the school year, we want to showcase our wonderful teachers from this summer! We appreciate our teacher's hard work and their dedication to the Reach mission. Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

At the end of the summer session, our Reach scholars had a couple of days of field day activities instead of their regular electives. The field days were organized in collaboration between a Reach intern and our computer science teacher, Mr. Michaud. Our scholars had 3 days of fun filled activities among their cohort classmates. Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

Each summer, Reach for Excellence incorporates a book club class into the scholar's schedules to not only set aside time to read but also to engage in discussions with their class. This summer, we also held our second annual battle of the books where students could submit the number of pages they read outside of the Reach classes to compete for prizes. For the second year in a row, our rising 7th grade students took charge and won as a grade level for reading over two thousand pages. Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

Reach for Excellence is grateful for the long-term support of the Catholic Foundation of North Georgia and its members. We rely on both to deliver our tuition-free enrichment program to determined middle schoolers. After high school, 96% of our graduates matriculate to college. Interested in supporting Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

This summer, our rising 7th grade students had the opportunity to practice their presenting skills to our rising 9th grade students. Our rising 7th graders spent time conducting experiments to create posters going through the scientific method. Our scholars explores questions like what colors absorbed more heat, how pigment affects crayon melting point, and whether color affects taste. It was wonderful to hear how the students approached their questions and communicated their results! Interested in learning more about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

Following Saturday's Stepping Up Ceremony, alumni from our very first cohorts came back to celebrate 25 years of Reach for Excellence alongside this year's graduates. We presented our Alumni Awards: Friend of the Year Award, presented to Dekalb PATH Academy. Alumni Service Award, presented to Matthew Weldegaber. Outstanding Alumni Award, presented to Wolly Mendez. Legacy Impact Award, presented to Andrew Quinn, a long time Reach teacher now retired and Dr Isaac Gitonga who has taught with Reach for 25 years, the entire life of this program We also heard from Wolly Mendez (Cohort 2005 C) and Derrick Lewis (Cohort 2010 H) for this year's Alumni Address, together representing over 40 years in the Reach family.

Congratulations to Cohort 2026 X! This past Saturday we celebrated Stepping Up Ceremony with our newest graduates. This year's class posted a 233% average increase in SSAT scores, earned 100% acceptance to at least one independent college preparatory high school, and secured more than $550,000 in freshman-year scholarships. These results are made possible through the generosity of our donor community. Interested in supporting Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

Once a week, scholars head out for hands-on learning beyond the classroom. So far this summer 9th graders have argued a mock trial at the Georgia Supreme Court, toured Emory University and the Michael C. Carlos Museum while Reach 7th graders visited Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Aquarium. Reach rising 8th graders, explored Wesleyan School's campus, and volunteered with St. Vincent de Paul. Interested in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

Reach for Excellence launched a new study skills class for rising 9th graders, covering time management, note-taking, memorization techniques, and the executive functioning skills scholars need to take ownership of their learning as they head into high school. Interested in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit reachforexcellence.org

Thanks to a generous donation from The Patterson Family Foundation, Reach for Excellence received a much-needed bus in time for our 25th summer session. Over 80% of our scholars depend on buses to participate in the program. Father Harhager blessed this one at our Open House on June 16. #ReachForExcellence To donate, please follow the link: www.reachforexcellence.org/support-us

The Reach Summer Session is in full swing and we are excited to highlight the science classes! Every scholar now takes a full hands-on science class covering chemistry, biology, and physics. Beyond running experiments, scholars are learning how to design their own research experiments while building the kind of scientific thinking that goes well past the classroom. Intereted in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit the link in our profile.

Calling all Reach alums! Please note the brunch time update. To celebrate 25 years of Reach for Excellence, we invite all Reach alums to attend an Alumni Brunch this summer! We are excited to have the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate all of your accomplishments. Please make sure to check your emails for additional details and the link to RSVP.

To mark our 25th anniversary, the Reach for Excellence Board honored the founders and early supporters who made the program possible. We appreciate them and all of our donors! So that determined low-income middle schoolers may continue to access the tuition-free academic enrichment they need to succeed in a college preparatory high school program, please visit the link in our profile. @kellycmiles @clarence77996 @striblingwade celine_stribling #reachforexcellence

On June 16, Reach for Excellence celebrated our 25th Anniversary! We were able to celebrate with our Open House and sharing cake with our scholars. Interested in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit the link in our profile.

Reach for Excellence is excited to announce that this fall we will have 2 rising 9th grade scholars attend St. Pius X Catholic High School! Congratulations to our scholars, we are excited for them to start their high school journey. Interested in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit the link in our profile.

Alumni, please thank Cohorts D, H, I and P for tripling your fund for gatherings in 2026/2027 during the Recurring Gift Challenge! Congrats to Cohorts H and I who tied for the most donors and to Cohort D for the highest value raised. Every gift counts. Special thanks to the Cohort Captains and Co-Chairs Amanda and Wolly. To donate, please visit: reachforexcellence.org/support-us/

Reach for Excellence is excited to announce that this fall we will have 2 rising 9th grade scholars attend Dekalb Early College Academy (DECA)! Congratulations to our scholars, we are excited for them to start their high school journey. Interested in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit the link in our profile.

Reach Summer Session is in full swing! We are so glad to have our scholars on campus. Interested in learning about Reach for Excellence? Visit the link in our profile.

At the end of May, our Alumni board members organized a pickleball event for our young professional alums! We are glad that they are able to reconnect and play some friendly games. We are so thankful to all our alums who participated in the Alumni Recurring Gift challenge which will contribute towards funding future alumni events and scholarships. Thank you for giving back to Reach for Excellence!

Reach for Excellence is excited to announce that this fall we will have 1 rising 9th grade scholars attend The Westminster Schools! Congratulations to all of our scholars, we are excited for them to start their high school journey. To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit the link in our profile.

Reach for Excellence is excited to announce that this fall we will have 2 rising 9th grade scholars attend Holy Innocents' Episcopal School! Congratulations to our scholars, we are excited for them to start their high school journey. To learn more about Reach for Excellence, please visit the link in our profile. @hies_upperschool

We are quickly approaching the start of our Summer Sessions! Reach is excited to have our teachers, TAs, and interns on campus this weekend to prepare the classrooms for next week! To learn more about Reach for Excellence, please visit https://reachforexcellence.org

Reach for Excellence is excited to announce that this fall we will have 1 rising 9th grade scholar attend Wesleyan School! Congratulations to all of our scholars, we are excited for them to start their high school journey. To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit the link in our profile.

As we approach the end of the school year, Reach for Excellence is proud to share the high school acceptances for our scholars. This fall, 11 of rising 9th grade scholars will be attending Marist School, including one scholar entering 8th grade. This is a record high number of Reach scholars attending Marist! We are proud of our scholars and look forward to seeing them on campus! To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit the link in our profile.

Alums, have you joined the Recurring Gift Challenge? Derrick Lewis is serving as captain of Cohort H and is one of five alumni on our Board of Directors. He signed up for the initiative because gifts committed by May 31 fund future alumni gatherings and scholarships! Which Cohorts are in the lead? Cohort D is in first place for the highest annual donation value and Cohort I has the most donors to date. There are only 17 days left in the Challenge. Show your Cohort spirit in honor of our 25th anniversary by signing up now: https://www.mightycause.com/story/10eyeg

Summer Orientation meetings are wrapped up! We look forward to welcoming all our scholars on the Marist School campus on June 1st for 5 weeks of summer learning in Math, ELA, Social Studies, Computer Science, Science, and bookclubs. For more information about Reach for Excellence, visit the link in our profile.

Cohorts H and I are leading the Alumni Recurring Gift Campaign in honor of our 25th anniversary! Funds raised will go toward alumni events and scholarships. Rachel W. from Cohort I set the pace by being our first Reach alum to make a recurring gift! Rachel serves in Foreign Service with her husband and made her first recurring gift years ago, gradually increasing it when she received a raise or found herself scrolling – deciding to give rather than buy. Check your email to learn more about the campaign and how to be a Cohort Captain or click here to make your recurring gift: https://www.mightycause.com/story/10eyeg

Please join us to celebrate 25 years of Reach for Excellence at the Painted Pickle. We hope to gather old friends, families, board members, and former teachers for a fun celebration! Alumni, please check your emails for the link to RSVP.

Reach for Excellence welcomed our newest cohort at the end of April! We had a wonderful morning with our newest 40 scholars, sharing important information about our upcoming Summer Sessions and enjoying ice breakers with our rising 7th grade teachers. We look forward to having our newest cohort join us soon! For more information about Reach for Excellence , visit the link in our profile.

Did Reach for Excellence help shape who you are today? If so, this is your chance to give forward! Cohorts 2001 A - 2022 T are invited to join the Alumni Recurring Gift Challenge in honor of the 25th Anniversary of Reach for Excellence. Funds will be used to grow our alumni community. Sign up for the challenge now through May 31. For details on how Cohorts will compete, please visit the link below. https://www.mightycause.com/story/10eyeg

Reach for Excellence is excited to share that some of our high school alumni attended the SACAC College Admissions Workshop at Emory University! This workshop offered amazing sessions intended to help guide students and parents through various aspects of the college admissions process. It was a fun and informative day! To learn more about Reach for Excellence, visit the link in our profile.

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