A Conversation with Our 2025 Excellence In College Counseling Winners

By Cindy Jara

For the past decade, Reach Higher has empowered students to own their futures and choose their paths after high school. After transitioning from the Obama White House to joining forces with Common App in 2019, we’ve seen the immense impact of school counselors who work tirelessly to guide and support students on this journey. That’s why we created the Excellence in College Counseling Award to recognize the outstanding work of high school counselors dedicated to increasing college access for their students.

In conjunction with the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers celebration, our Excellence in College Counseling (EICC) Award is given each year to a counseling team at a high school that supports a high percentage of students from low-income families and is located within the host state of the College Football Playoff National Championship game. We are excited to announce the KIPP Forward Team at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School in Atlanta, Georgia, as our 2025 EICC recipient!

We are excited to announce the KIPP Forward Team at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School in Atlanta, Georgia, as our 2025 EICC recipient!

We asked a few key members of this all-star team to share their reflections on their time at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School (KAC). Meet:

  • Melanie Harper – College Match Counselor
  • Jodeci Acosta Gorman – Director of HS Transition
  • Atua Emu – Director of College Match
  • Authur Washington – Principal
  • Irving Williams – Managing Director of KIPP Forward

Read the full article here.