Together, we expanded Pathways to Opportunity.

In 2025, we launched the Pathways to Opportunity Campaign with an ambitious goal: to raise $30 million and accelerate educational opportunity for thousands of Central Texas students on their journey to and through college.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our community, that goal was not only met, but exceeded in 2026. Together, supporters invested $32.9 million in the future of Breakthrough students, demonstrating a powerful belief in their potential to achieve their dreams and transform their families’ futures.

See the impact of your support:

2025 Progress Report

UNLOCKING THE POWER OF EDUCATION

At Breakthrough, we celebrate more than a successful campaign. We celebrate the determination and achievements of Breakthrough students, who continue to graduate from college at remarkable rates and become the first in their families to earn a degree. Their hard work and success inspires our community’s confidence in our mission and fuels continued investment in educational equity.

Because of this campaign, Breakthrough will triple the number of students graduating from college and double the number of students we serve by 2029, creating life-changing opportunities for thousands more young people across Central Texas.

Thank you for unlocking the power of education and expanding pathways to opportunity for generations to come.

With your support, we were able to make significant progress towards our goals. 

Triple the number of Breakthrough students graduating college each year, celebrating 1,100 total first-generation college graduates by 2029

Nearly double the number of students engaged in Breakthrough to 5,500 served by 2029

Admit more than 3,000 new middle school and high school students to Breakthrough over the next five years

Expand the Schoolwide Program to transform high school campuses and bring Breakthrough’s radical long-term commitment to more students

Eastside ECHS serves a diverse student body, providing valuable insights that are strengthening our Schoolwide Program model and informing expansion to a new campus.

Provide invaluable field experience to 600 Summer Teaching Fellows and Student Advocacy Fellows, fueling a diverse pipeline of future educators and community leaders

MEDIA COVERAGE
VIEW OUR CASE STATEMENT

Gloria Perez, Breakthrough Alum & Pathways Investor

The mission and work of Breakthrough have personally affected me and my family deeply and I’m eternally grateful. This is a small way for me to help move Breakthroughs work forward and support them in serving even more students. With the Pathways to Opportunity Campaign, I hope that Breakthrough will be able to change so many more lives through this campaign and support students in the path that serves them best.

Joseph Ramirez, Breakthrough Alum & Pathways Investor

For me, Breakthrough’s Internship Network gave me the tools and network to launch my career after college! [The Pathways to Opportunity Campaign] will create future opportunities for students to advance their careers and help their families’ growth.

Irma Brand, Pathways Campaign Committee Member & Investor

The Pathways to Opportunity Campaign is unprecedented. We are ambitiously pushing the boundaries, asking our community to step up in a big way and donate 30 million dollars with the goal of enrolling 3,000 new Breakthrough students, tripling the number of first gen college graduates in south Texas.

Walt Penn, Pathways Campaign Committee Member & Investor

The Pathways to Opportunity Campaign is about scaling up and reaching out to double the number of lives we can change for the better. These are real stories about real kids doing great things.

CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

Co-Chairs  |  Mary Beth & Phil Canfield  ·  Robin & Gene Shepherd

Honorary Co-Chairs  |  Gary Farmer  ·  Ricky D. Green  ·  Carolyn & Jack Long

Irma Brand  ·  Christie & Clinton Bybee  ·  Amber Carden  ·  Brad Johl
Walt Penn  ·  Jessica Slade  ·  Cissy Warner

Campaign Partners

THANK YOU TO OUR INVESTORS

Special thanks to our matching gift donors:

Christie & Clinton Bybee, Mary Beth & Phil Canfield, The Keller Family, and Carolyn & Jack Long.

Christie & Clinton Bybee • The Canfield Family Foundation • Dick Clark III Foundation

The Keller Family • The KLE Foundation • Carolyn & Jack Long • Diana & Gregg Lowe

Meinig Family Foundation/Smalling Family • The Moody Foundation

Cheryl & Walt Penn • George & Fran Ramsey • Bryan J. Rollins & Kimberly Hill

Shepherd 5 Points Family Foundation • Anonymous (2)

Applied Materials Foundation •  Gene & Sharlene Austin • Austin Community Foundation

Aileen & Mike Aviles  •  Janet & David Cooper

In Loving Memory of Caryl & Art Custer •  Michael & Susan Dell Foundation •

Andrea Dinnick & Andrew Kennedy  •  Susan & Gary Farmer  •  Kelly & Scott Ferguson

Foresight Charitable Fund •  Timothy Jr. & Rosalind George • Cathy & Mike Godfrey

Carrie & Michael Griffith •  Janet Harman & Kent Mayes  •  The Harman-Mayes-Sooch Family Fund

H-E-B Tournament of Champions • The Johl Family •  Duane & Shannon King

Becky & Mark Konen • The Michael & Alice Kuhn Foundation

  Carolyn Lewis  •  Lowe Foundation  •  LSG Charitable Foundation

Steve & Wendy Martinez  •  Nelson Puett Foundation  •  O’Shaughnessy-Rivers Family Fund

In Honor of Cheryl Penn • The Prosper Road Foundation • Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Rusche Foundation

Stephen M. Seay Foundation • Sooch Foundation • Hannah Temple  • Topfer Family Foundation

The Unblemished Sole  •  Carol & Adam Wagner  •  Winn Family Foundation

Mary Garwood Yancy & Howard Yancy  •  Russell & Rebecca Young  •  Dominick & Mary Pat Zarcone

Anonymous (5)

Kate Turner-Abel & Scott Abel ⋅ Janet & Wilson Allen ⋅ Chris & Gretchen Atwell

Beacon Nonprofit Consulting  ⋅ Laura & Kyndel Bennett  ⋅  Irma & Jim Brand  ⋅ Veronica Bright & Lance Ramsey

Paula & Robert Butts ⋅  Amber Carden  

Christina Corona ⋅ The Currie-Farabee Fund ⋅ Dalgleish Construction Company 

Munira Fareed & Suaad Sait ⋅ Staley & Jack Gray ⋅ Ricky D. Green

David & Liesl Groberg ⋅ Clarke & Catherine Heidrick  ⋅  Caroline & Mike Hinson

Mary Beth & Dan Jester ⋅ Diane Land & Steve Adler ⋅ Revlynn Lawson ⋅ Michael & Mysha Lubke

Eleanor & Ron Luke  ⋅ Lou & Kathleen Mabley  ⋅  Carrie & Jeff McDowell ⋅ Beth & Chris McKay

MFI Foundation ⋅ Brian & Karen Nalle ⋅ Dr. Eva Garza-Nyer & Adam Nyer

Jackie & Shawn O’Farrell ⋅ Kacy & Scott O’Hare ⋅ One Skye Foundation/Ray & Karen Brimble ⋅

Lee & John Rippel  ⋅  Brian Roberts & Sarah Mead ⋅   Carmine Salvucci & Steve Brister

Amanda & Dick Schmidt ⋅ Taylor & Kodi Sisson ⋅ Jessica Slade ⋅ Stahl Family Foundation 

Dulce & Mike Stenglein ⋅  Kimberly & Marcus Strenk ⋅ Lisa Terrill

Margot & Grant Thomas ⋅ Caitlin & Gavin Turner ⋅  Robert & Christa Tuttle

Cissy & Mark Warner ⋅ Shannon & Jimmy Windham ⋅ Holly Wissmann & Fabian Martinez ⋅

Kristen & Patrick Worrall ⋅  Anonymous (2)

   Karen & Barry Aidman  ⋅  Carlos Alpuche  ⋅   Karen Alpuche Caceres ⋅   Tracy & Jarrett Anderson

Matt & Teri Andresen  ⋅  Familia Armenta  ⋅ Jamie & Bill Bayless  

 Tomas Boatwright  ⋅   Lynne Rupp & Doug Brothers ⋅  Ann & Bill Burke  ⋅  Megan Dion

Emmanuel Emah-Emeni  ⋅ Julie Fisher  ⋅  Patrick & CeCe Flynn  ⋅ Lyle Fulkerson  ⋅  Natalie & James Gray   

Dr. Harry & Idona Griffith ⋅ Cynthia L. Hernandez  ⋅  Grace Holland ⋅ Martin & Elizabeth Hunt ⋅ Leslie & David Jaffe

Annie & Justin Jacobs  ⋅   Dan & Peggy Keelan  ⋅  Lisa Lee  ⋅  Coleen Linden ⋅ Live Out Loud PR  ⋅ Charles & Leslie Martinez

Claire & David Mathias  ⋅ McDowell Foundation  ⋅  Danielle McNeely  ⋅  Michele Walker-Moak & Michael Moak

Emily Moreland ⋅  Chris & Meredith Morrow  ⋅  Paulina Mason Murton & Chris Murton ⋅ Cathleen & Eric Naumann

Heather & Jack Nelson  ⋅  Valerie & Jeff Newberg  ⋅  Kathryn & Bryan Noteboom

Karey & Chris Oddo  ⋅  Gloria Perez  ⋅ Gregory & Lamonica Perrin ⋅ Sarah Perry

Joseph Ramirez-Hernandez ⋅ Kaitlin & Michael Ramirez ⋅  Yvette Rios & Roger Sandau

Kathryn Ross  ⋅ Marco Saucedo Jr. ⋅ Jabrell Scott ⋅ Michael Shapiro ⋅ Laurel & Dudley Simmons

 The Slayton Family  ⋅  Neal & Beth Sutton  ⋅  Prince Umanmielen 

Jasmin Vara  ⋅  Tito & Tere Vidaurri  ⋅ David & Bri Walker ⋅  Shan Wang

Liz Watson & Mayor Kirk Watson  ⋅  Monica & Norwood Williams  ⋅ Susan J. Zimmerman & Lynn H. Slade

 

 

FOR QUESTIONS OR TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT:

Holly Wissmann
Chief Development Officer
holly@breakthroughctx.org

Michael Griffith
Executive Director
michael@breakthroughctx.org