Bottom Line

One year into partnering with Ohio students, Bottom Line Ohio is keeping the momentum going for students from first-generation and under-resourced backgrounds as they get into college.

The Breakfast of Champions was a snapshot of that, bringing together students, educators, and community leaders who are invested in the impact of college access and success for the students in their community.

Take a minute to watch the WHIO-TV 7 feature to hear directly from our very own Emily Broughton: https://www.whio.com/news/local/group-celebrates-1-year-helping-dayton-area-high-school-students-get-into-college/VBI6E2U2SZESZOJSOGNXKH2TOA/

We're thrilled to share that the Dream It Real program has been recognized with a Halo Award by Engage for Good one of the highest honors in corporate-nonprofit partnerships.

Dream It Real is a multiyear partnership with the Coach Foundation and Bottom Line, launched five years to expand access to higher education and close the financial gap for first-generation students. Since then, the partnership has combined scholarships with wraparound support like mentorship, career readiness, and advising, helping students persist through college and move toward their first careers.

And in 2025, we celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of Dream It Real scholars as they completed their four-year degrees!

This recognition belongs to everyone who made the work possible - our partners, our team, and the communities we serve.

The Coach Foundation released their 2025 Social Impact Zine, The Next Chapter Begins, highlighting the impact of their Dream It Real scholarship work across North America, China, Japan, and beyond.

This year they're funding another 200 renewable scholarships for Bottom Line NY Success and Bluprint students, and have funded 8,372 scholarships funded globally to date, putting them past the halfway mark toward 10,000 scholarships by 2030. The zine centers scholar stories and what sustained investment actually produces, young people defining their own paths on their own terms.

Worth noting for our Bottom Line community: Access/Success alum, Lucas Silverio, who worked with Ajani and Simone, is featured as part of the broader scholar impact section. Vernetta Parkinson, who worked with Jonathan, is also quoted.

Read the full zine here: https://www.coach.com/content/coachfoundation-impact

We take the "Go Far" part of our tagline seriously. Bottom Line Chicago hosted their 7th Annual Go Far Forum, a day for our Success students to build social capital, explore career pathways, and expand their networks by connecting directly with professionals across various industries. For many first-gen college students, those connections play a critical role in navigating what comes after college graduation.

We're grateful to the partners who made this experience possible: Allstate, bp, Cara Chicago, CareerSpring, COOP Careers, DRW, Northwestern Medicine, PwC, University of Chicago Crime Lab, University of Chicago Education Lab, and Wintrust.

Houston is full of talent, but too many students are still navigating college and career pathways without the guidance they deserve.

That’s why Bottom Line is expanding to Houston. Because every student deserves a clear path forward from high school through college and into career.

Today, we’re proud to introduce Kamari J. Brewer as the Founding Executive Director of Bottom Line Houston.

With 20+ years of experience building high-impact programs and partnerships, Kamari has spent her career expanding opportunity for students across Houston. She understands what it takes not just to open doors but to ensure students can walk through them and thrive.

“Houston is rich with talent and potential. I believe deeply in what’s possible when students have access to consistent guidance, strong relationships, and clear pathways forward. I’m excited to partner with this community to ensure more students not only access college but thrive through graduation and beyond.”

We’re excited for what’s ahead.

Read more about our Houston expansion and Kamari’s leadership: https://www.bottomline.org/news/bottom-line-names-kamari-brewer-to-lead-houston-expansion-advancing-opportunity-for-degree-aspiring-students/

Did you know every year Bottom Line New York hosts a College Expo?

An event geared towards our Access students and their peers, our New York team brings together high school seniors to connect with current college students, including some of our Success students and grads. Students hear directly about what to expect, from applications to campus life, from peers who've already been through it.

The College Expo is one way we make sure students have the information, support, and community as they enter this next chapter.

Shoutout to the NY team, student and alumni volunteers - you all made our 12th Annual College Expo such a meaningful experience!

Professional spaces often come with unspoken expectations, and for many first-generation college students, those expectations can become real barriers.

In Chicago, Bottom Line Advisors launched the Career Closet after recognizing a gap in student resources. What began as a simple idea has grown into a meaningful resource that helps students prepare for interviews, internships, and early career opportunities without added financial strain.

It's one thread in a larger tapestry of support, and a powerful example of what student-centered partnership looks like on the ground.

This is what going ALL IN looks like in practice.

Read more about what success looks like in our Chicago region on pages 14-15 of our Annual Report: https://www.bottomline.org/news/annual-report-2025/

Conversation Hour brought leaders across the sector together to discuss the future of student success. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Jasmine Haywood, Kelly McManus, Randy Moore, and Farhad Asghar for bringing their expertise, honesty, and leadership to this conversation.

If you were not able to join us, visit the link in below to get exclusive access to our full recording and recap insights.

Exclusive Access: https://tr.ee/g1GBJtgLN8