The upcoming ceremony welcomes 26 students from 11 states, including Maryland, Texas, and Alaska. These incoming scholars, many of whom are first-generation college students, represent a diverse range of professional ambitions, from medicine and engineering to filmmaking and public service. Their success challenges the stigma often attached to families navigating the criminal justice system.

Founded in 2012 by Yasmine Arrington Brooks, the organization has distributed over $700,000 to more than 120 students. The support goes beyond tuition, providing mentorship, mental health resources, and emergency assistance to ensure students persist through graduation. Brooks, who started the nonprofit based on her own experience with an incarcerated father, emphasizes that the program aims to replace barriers with a network of opportunity.

Keynote speaker Isabel Coronado, a public health leader and advocate for criminal justice reform, will address the event. As a citizen of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation with lived experience as the child of an incarcerated parent, Coronado remains a prominent voice in efforts to keep families connected. The event will also honor graduating seniors and alumni, recognizing the donors and partners who have sustained the organization’s growth over the past decade and a half.