Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment

Scholars Equity Network just released a sneak peek of their workshop lineup for the 2026 Pay It Forward Summit!

We couldn't be prouder.

Three of our School Counselor Fellows — Lillian Martz, Quan Neloms, and Jessica Tibbitts are taking the stage at the 2026 Pay It Forward Summit on August 14th at the Obama Presidential Center.

Lillian, Quan, and Jessica, go show them what school counselors are made of. 👏



Register here: https://scholarsequity.us.hivebrite.com/events/243989

View the Summit Speakers here: https://www.scholarsequity.org/2026-summit-speakers

Pay It Forward Summit 2026 The Pay It Forward Summit will bring together an unprecedented network of Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) alumni and friends who are ready to pay forward the opportunities they received.  The Summit creates space for scholars to build skills in economic empowerment, civic leadership, professional d...

We could not have asked for a better group of voices to anchor the 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit.

A heartfelt thank you to Dr. David Ford of Strada Education Foundation, Dr. Ashley Johnson of The Kresge Foundation, Jim Larimore, nonprofit board member, and Dr. Maritza Cha for the depth, candor, and generosity they brought to every conversation at the summit.

A special thank you to Lezya Weglarz, who moderated our opening student panel with exactly the warmth and wisdom this moment called for. As a first-generation college graduate, Lezya brought a perspective to the stage that set the tone for everything that followed.

They showed up fully and participated throughout the summit, and we are grateful.

Congratulations to our Year 1 National School Counselor Fellows, who received their certificates at the 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit in San Diego this week.

Veronica Douglas-Johnson, Dr. Denise Hawkins, Dr. Kim Mitchell, Christiana Morris, Deborah Nelson, Dr. Kyria Parker-Hart, Manijeh Reynolds, Tara Washington, Shamelle Yemofio, Xi Zhang, Erin Broedeker, Nicole Braun, Nicole Greenia, Kelly Keimig, Kristyn Lynch, Teresa Noordhoek, Valerie Owen, Heather Rick, and Sarah Welniak.

Year 1 is where it all begins. The listening, the learning, the building of something that will outlast any single grant cycle or initiative. These school counselors are already doing that work, and we are proud to be part of their journey.

Congratulations, Year 1 Fellows.

We celebrate our Year 2 National School Counselor Fellows, who completed the full 2 year fellowship and presented their systems-change projects at the 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit in San Diego.

Congratulations to Dr. Bernell Elzey, Gisselle Mandujano Puga, Katie Mitchell-Dodge, Dr. Elin P. Cervantes, Mia Tatum-Crider, Larissa Hunt, Trisha Mertens, Rebecca Rice, Jenny Riha, and Susy Talentino.

Each of these school counselor fellows spent a year listening to their communities, digging into data, and building plans to close real gaps in postsecondary advising for the students who need it most. Next they spent a year addressing the systems level issue they selected and presented the findings from that work this week.

We are so proud of every one of you. Congratulations!

The 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit is a wrap, and we are so grateful.

To every school counselor fellow who traveled to San Diego State University this week: thank you. You brought your expertise, your honesty, and your deep commitment to the students who need this work most. Watching you in the room together was a reminder of what is possible when school counselors are truly supported and connected to one another.

To Dr. David Ford, Jim Larimore, Dr. Ashley Johnson, and Dr. Maritza Cha, your presentations and conversations will stay with this community long after the summit ends. We are grateful for the time, the care, and the candor you brought to us.

To Lezya Weglarz and our student panelists, you reminded every school counselor in the room exactly who they are doing this work for. That is not a small thing. Thank you for the vulnerability and trust you gave us by sharing your story.

The room is ready. The agenda is set. And in an hour, some of the most committed school counselors in the country will be in this building doing the work that students deserve.

Good morning, San Diego. The 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit starts today.

Three of the most experienced voices in college access, equity, and education philanthropy are joining us on the panel stage at the 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit.

Dr. Ashley Johnson is a Program Officer at The Kresge Foundation, where she supports student-focused postsecondary access and success efforts for traditionally marginalized populations. Before joining Kresge, she served as founding Executive Director of the Detroit College Access Network and Director of the Detroit Promise.

Dr. David Ford, Vice President of Quality Coaching at Strada Education Foundation, has spent nearly three decades aligning K-12, higher education, and workforce systems so that personalized guidance becomes a universal driver of economic mobility. He began his career as a school counselor.

Jim Larimore is a first-generation college graduate who led postsecondary success work at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, including the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, a 20-year initiative supporting 20,000 high-achieving, low-income students of color. He co-founded the EdSAFE AI Alliance and has spent his career advocating for safe, equitable, and ethical practices in education.

Together, they will lead our June 25 panel: Emerging Issues in College and Career Advising.

Dr. Maritza Cha grew up in East Los Angeles and was the first in her family to go to college. She became a school counselor, earned her PhD and won the Outstanding Dissertation Award from AERA Division E in 2024. She also contributed to the 6th edition of Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling. AND she is a National School Counselor Fellow alum.

On June 26, she will deliver the keynote at the 2026 National School Counselor Fellows Summit: Keeping Students at the Center: Postsecondary Access in Uncertain Times.

The school counselors, students, and educators in the room will hear from someone who has lived the student experience, done the counselor work, and built the research to back it up. That is a rare combination and we are honored to have her.