Dear Breakthrough Community,

On behalf of our Board of Trustees, campaign leadership, and staff, I am thrilled to announce a historic milestone for Breakthrough Central Texas: the public launch of our Pathways to Opportunity Campaign. Through this $30 million accelerator campaign, we will unlock the power of education and expand opportunity for thousands more Central Texas students – enrolling 3,000 new students, doubling the number of young people we serve, and tripling the number of first-generation college graduates.

Earlier this week, we gathered with community leaders, partners, and supporters at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum to announce this bold vision—the most ambitious in Breakthrough’s 20+ year history. Together, we celebrated the progress we’ve already made, the generosity of so many who believe in our proven solution and support our students and their families.

We were honored to:

  • Hear Luci Baines Johnson, businesswoman, philanthropist, and daughter of President Johnson, reflect on her father’s legacy and the transformative power of education to lift generations out of poverty.
  • Be moved by Mayor Kirk Watson, a longtime supporter and son of a first-generation graduate, as he affirmed Breakthrough’s role in empowering students, strengthening our workforce, and building a more equitable Austin.
  • Celebrate Breakthrough alumnus Jeremiah Thompson, who shared his inspiring journey to The University of Texas, McCombs School of Business as the first in his family to graduate college.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our early investors, led by Honorary Chairs—Gary Farmer, Ricky D. Green, Carolyn & Jack Long—and Campaign Co-Chairs—Phil & Mary Beth Canfield and Robin & Gene Shepherd—we are thrilled to announce that we have already raised $23 million toward our $30 million goal. To amplify this effort, longtime champions Carolyn & Jack Long and Christie & Clint Bybee have pledged to match qualified gifts to the campaign, up to a combined total of $4 million to inspire others to join them.

As Luci Baines Johnson reminded us: “When all our young people get a quality education—not only your children and mine, but all children—all communities will benefit.”

Now is the moment to carry this momentum forward. More than a fundraising effort, this campaign is an investment in the future of our students, our workforce, and our community. I invite you to learn more about the Pathways to Opportunity Campaign, celebrate the generosity that has brought us this far, and consider how you can help unlock the power of education and a lifetime of opportunity for thousands more students. Together, we can help make our region one of the best in the state for young people to realize college and career success —building a stronger Central Texas for all.

With deep gratitude,

Michael Griffith

Executive Director

CHRISTINA CORONA

Board Trustee, Chair-Elect

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Christina Corona is a transformational leader with over three decades of experience in engineering and operations, spanning semiconductor manufacturing, hardware solutions, and global R&D. As Head of Operational Excellence and Operations Chief of Staff at Emerson Test & Measurement, she drives strategic initiatives that enhance innovation and operational performance worldwide.

A first-generation college graduate and passionate advocate for STEM education, Christina holds a B.S. in Mathematics from St. Edward’s University and an MBA from UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business. Deeply rooted in the Austin community, she has served on multiple nonprofit boards and champions equity through local impact initiatives. Currently she is Chair-Elect/Treasure at Breakthrough Central Texas and Chair-Elect at Austin Community Foundation’s Hispanic Impact Fund.

ROBIN SHEPHERD

Pathways Campaign Co-Chair

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In Austin, Robin started volunteering in the non-profit space focusing on Austin’s at-risk community. Robin has served in leadership roles on the boards of KIPP Austin Public Schools, Trinity Center, JDRF Austin, the Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and Hillside Early Childhood Education Center. In addition, along with her husband and three sons, Robin established and for years attended a program every other Saturday designed to feed and entertain children experiencing homelessness in Austin. Robin has also donated her time to several non-profits in order to assist in growth and fundraising strategies including but not limited to Breakthrough Central Texas, The Other Ones Foundation, and Preservation Austin.

Robin also manages the Shepherd 5 Points Family Foundation. This Foundation was established by Robin and her husband a few years ago and is mainly focused on supporting the at-risk population in Austin, with special emphasis on entrepreneurial efforts in the education and housing arenas. The Foundation has supported a variety of efforts geared towards improving access to better educational outcomes for at-risk youth and better housing opportunities and wrap-around services for those experiencing homelessness.  Some of the grant recipients of this foundation include Foundation Communities, Breakthrough Central Texas, scholarships for first generation students at The University of Texas at Austin, Hungry Hill, Integral Care, and The Other Ones Foundation.

Robin is a Stephen’s Minister, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin Fellows’ program, and a recent breast cancer survivor.  She is married to Gene and is a mother to three sons and multiple golden retrievers.

KIRK
WATSON

Austin Mayor

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For three decades, Kirk Watson has been immersed in public policy, spanning local and state government in Texas. Watson served as Chair of a state agency as an appointee of Gov. Ann Richards. He was elected mayor of Austin in 1997. In 2006, he was elected to the Texas State Senate and served for over 13 years, leading on a wide range of issues including education, health care, transportation and government transparency.

During his previous tenure as mayor, Watson won praise for bringing different political sides together around transformative environmental and economic development initiatives. And as a Texas State Senator, he led the effort to build a new medical school at The University of Texas at Austin.

Since returning to the Austin Mayor’s office, Mayor Watson has been focused on stabilizing city government and improving basic city operations. He has been a leader on addressing affordability in Austin, including by increasing housing stock and creating opportunities for more Austinites to participate in Austin’s prosperity.

PHIL
CANFIELD

Pathways Campaign Co-Chair

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Phil started his career in the corporate finance department of Kidder, Peabody & Co.  He joined GTCR in 1992 and retired from GTCR in 2020.  Phil was the Managing Partner of GTCR from 2007-2015, served on GTCR’s investment committee from 1998 until his retirement and led/co-led the firm’s technology, media and telecommunications investing practice for two decades.  He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BBA in finance with high honors from the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas. 

At the University of Chicago Phil serves as the Chair of the Booth School of Business Council and is a member of the Polsky Center Private Equity Council.  At the University of Texas, Phil serves on the Development Committee, and The Business Honors Program at the University of Texas was recently renamed the Canfield Business Honors Program in recognition of a generous gift from Phil and Mary Beth Canfield.

Phil and his wife, Mary Beth are very engaged in civic and political initiatives in central Texas and support organizations that focus driving better educational outcomes for K-12 students as well as organizations that focus on mental health, homelessness, public safety, parks and public services. 

MICHAEL GRIFFITH

Executive Director

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Michael Griffith has 20 years of experience as an educator and nonprofit leader. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas and a Master of Education degree from Texas State University, Michael started his career as a classroom teacher, honing his skills in teaching, learning, curriculum development, and student assessment. He earned distinctions for his teaching and took on leadership roles as a mentor teacher and team leader. He supported students in and out of the classroom to fulfill their potential.

Michael joined Breakthrough as the Director of Programs in 2008. During his six-year tenure as Director of Programs, Michael managed a three-fold increase in students served, the organization’s expansions in Manor ISD and Austin ISD, the buildout of its college completion programs, and the creation of a customized Salesforce database to monitor the progress of students on their path to college graduation. In 2011, Michael was honored by Bank of America with the distinction of Emerging Leader.

In 2014, Michael took on the role of Executive Director at Breakthrough. Since that time, he has supported Breakthrough as it has expanded extensively to serve more students in multiple school districts in Central Texas and at colleges and universities across the country. Michael has expertise in educational best practices, partnership development, research and reporting, project planning, strategy formation, organizational leadership, and nonprofit governance. Michael is a founding member of the Austin College Access Network and is widely respected in the Central Texas nonprofit community.

JEREMIAH THOMPSON

Breakthrough Alum

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Jeremiah is a proud first-generation college graduate from the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin and is currently pursuing his MBA at UT San Antonio. A former Breakthrough Central Texas student who joined the program in 6th grade, Jeremiah now pays it forward as the Internship and Bridges Program Coordinator at H-E-B. In his role, he helps design curriculum, advocate for systemic change, and support interns and partners in realizing their personal and professional goals. Driven by the same spirit of mentorship and opportunity that helped shape his own journey, Jeremiah is passionate about empowering the next generation of leaders.

LUCI BAINES JOHNSON

Keynote Speaker

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As the daughter of President Lyndon Baines and Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson, Luci Baines Johnson’s roots run deep in public service. She has dedicated her life to issues of social justice, the environment, healthcare, education, and voting rights while also making an impact in the business world.

Luci’s work in the 1960s with Head Start, a federal program focusing on the education of preschoolers, allowed her a foray into the crucial field of early childhood education. From there, she helped to create Volunteers for Vision, a national organization that provided visual screening services to children in the Head Start programs.

Luci has served on many important boards and philanthropic campaign initiatives, including the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine National Leaders Council, the SAFE Alliance, University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, MD Anderson, and Dell Children’s Hospital. She is involved with numerous university initiatives from Austin to Boston and was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Georgetown University, her alma mater, in 2018.