Elite River Oaks Private School Touts Breakthrough Scholarships: Tuition-Free College Prep Changes Lives

What: Breakthrough Houston‘s 10th annual Building Bridges luncheon

Where: Flores Hall at St. John’s School in River Oaks

PC Moment: Testimonials from two Breakthrough Houston students who have benefited from the tuition-free, college preparatory program for economically-disadvantaged students and the keynote address by Dr. Ruth Simmons, the first woman president of Prairie View A&M University, confirmed the value of organizations that broaden access to educational opportunities. Before arriving at Prairie View, Simmons, a native Houstonian, served as president of Brown University and of Smith College.

She allowed that a scholarship provided by individuals that she did not know gave her the opportunity to go to college and begin her stellar career in higher education.

More than $180,000 was raised for Breakthrough’s academic enrichment programs, thanks to supporters and the efforts of chairs Andrea and Matt Gentle, Cabrina and Steven Owsley and Erin and James Stewart.

Who: Aliyya Stude, Todd Litton, Bobbie Nau, Carolyn Dorros, Larua Arnold, Kristy Bradshaw, Kelli Blanton, Karen Arnold, Valerie Dieterich, Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah, Ting Bresnahan, Bevin and Dan Dubrowski, Liz Stepanian, Monsour Taghdisi, Courtney Sarofim, Vanessa Sanchez and Lyndsey and Bret Zorich.