From July 13–16, 2025, over 1,800 educators, policy makers, students, families, and community partners converged in San Francisco to celebrate and advance the mission of GEAR UP at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. GEAR UP is a nationally recognized federally funded college‑access initiative with nearly $388 million annually, that serves hundreds of thousands of students. This conference plays a pivotal role in powering those efforts: it’s where promising practices and strategies are shared, policies are shaped, coalitions are built, and futures are envisioned.

The conference featured more than 120 concurrent sessions—from intimate workshops to dynamic panel discussions—designed to serve everyone from college-career access advisors and family-engagement specialists to grant managers, evaluators, and student leaders. Sessions spanned critical topics like bolstering college‑career readiness cultures, navigating FAFSA and financial aid, using data strategically, and fostering student mental well-being.

Central to the experience were powerful plenary presentations. Featuring recognized voices from education policy, business philanthropy, and legislative advocacy, these sessions offered a compelling backdrop for deep dives in concurrent workshops.

Meanwhile, the conference showcased specialized learning institutes including:

  • Family Leadership Institute – equipping families with tools, resources, and strategies to act as champions for their students.
  • Youth Leadership Summit – empowering young leaders through high quality learning opportunities focused on life, leadership, and learning to learn skills.
  • District Leadership Institute – guiding school district administrators and college-access practitioners in crafting sustainable college-career readiness strategies.

I was particularly moved by Dr. Karen Arcos, a first-generation Latina, GEAR UP alumna, and University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Santa Cruz, who shared her inspiring leadership journey. Losing her sight as an infant, she confronted and overcame barriers with resilience and determination—completing her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience with a Field Emphasis in Chicano/Latino Studies from UC Irvine and earning prestigious honors like the NSF Graduate Fellowship and Ronald E. McNair Scholar recognition.

Her leadership story resonated deeply during her plenary session, where she recounted being advised by her high school special education staff to downscale her dream of attending university in favor of a two-year college, Arcos a psychology major and Spanish minor, stuck to her guns, overcoming multiple challenges to attend USC for undergraduate studies. She was also offered a one-year master’s program at Harvard University but chose to pursue her graduate studies at UC Irvine, undertaking the five-year Ph.D. program.

At the conference, Dr. Arcos emphasized the power of “representation through action.” She described how, by mentoring students directly—offering coaching on admissions, research opportunities, and self-advocacy—she modeled pathways into higher education. Her story wasn’t only a personal triumph; it was a call to action for GEAR UP attendees to center empathy and accessibility in their own programs.

By the end of her session, she had sparked a wave of enthusiasm among educators and administrators: a collective commitment to integrate mentorship, equity, and culturally responsive practices into their work. In channeling her own journey—”from blind child to doctoral scholar”—into actionable leadership, Dr. Arcos exemplified what it means to plant seeds of change, reaffirming GEAR UP’s mission of access, belonging, and student empowerment for all.

The 2025 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference wasn’t just an event—it was a movement. By creating spaces for collaboration, innovation, and leadership, it reaffirmed a fundamental belief: when given the right support, every student can thrive. Here’s to continuing to plant seeds, nurture dreams, and shape brighter futures.