When Gabe Doss was asked to be the keynote speaker at the Rising Scholars annual conference, he knew it was a no-brainer.
As a member of the Google Ann Arbor Community Affairs team with a direct focus on creating opportunities for K-12 students in STEM, Doss says the fit was perfect.
“Our partnership with AAPS is quite strong, and we’re looking for opportunities to target groups that are not represented,” said Goss, a marketing official for Google’s AdWords advertising platform. “The fact that this group exists give us the opportunity to zero in on some of their needs and provide as many resources and support as we possibly could.”
Goss said he hoped the 165 students would be encouraged to hear from someone who is only about 10 years older than they are and to understand that anything is possible for them.
Rising Scholars is a partnership between AAPS and the University of Michigan’s Center for Educational Outreach that reaches out to underserved but high achieving students to decrease the achievement gap and prepare them for college.
“My hope is that students walked away from the conference reminded that even when things are challenging, each one of them is exceptional beyond measure,” said Rising Scholars District Coordinator Joanna Johnson. “Their journey has just begun and their possibilities are endless. The day was about making sure these young people were reminded that greatness is made one day at a time and they are not alone in achieving their greatness.”
Be the first to comment