Meet the
DREAM Graduate

There’s a reason we call DREAM alumni “Legends.” All DREAM scholars graduate ready to embark on best-fit college and career paths—with the power and support of the entire DREAM community behind them. What do DREAM Legends bring to the table? Let’s talk about it.

100%

Class of 2023 college acceptance rate

$2M

Awarded to the Class of 2023 in grants and scholarships for their first year of college

70%

of the Class of 2023 are first-generation college students

what makes a legend?

No two DREAM graduates are the same—but our work to level the playing field means they all have the same access to opportunity. Here’s what that looks like at DREAM, and how it sets us apart from other schools.

We teach more than just hard skills.

By the time they graduate, all DREAM students have taken a minimum of two AP classes and defended a portfolio of work as a capstone activity—but they’ve also learned invaluable interpersonal skills and gained social-emotional intelligence as a part of DREAM’s commitment to our Whole Child model.

We grow our own leaders.

From student government to their first summer jobs, our students learn early on that they can be leaders and changemakers in their own communities. Each summer, DREAM employs 100+ of its high school students as teaching assistants, mentors, and coaches.

Our students know what it means to be a member of a team.

DREAM’s roots in baseball and softball and our commitment to keeping students active foster a culture where all students have access to team-based extracurriculars—and the lessons that come with being part of a team.

Support from DREAM doesn’t end when our scholars graduate high school. Our Legends Fellows program offers alumni the following supports to ensure completion of their post-secondary path:

Transition to College:

4-Week Summer Bridge Program designed to prepare rising freshmen for the college transition.

Career Exposure:

Access to career workshops, conferences, networking opportunities, career mentors, and internships.

Community Involvement:

On-campus visits, care packages, and alumni reunion events.

Leadership:

Near-peer mentorship opportunities, community service initiatives, and the Legends Leadership Council. Plus, our Alumni Council, one of DREAM’s leadership bodies, centers and engages the alumni voice at DREAM.

“DREAM graduates recognize that education is a pathway to intellectual enrichment and long-term success. But even more than that, they also know it’s a critical step toward becoming contributors to building a more just and equitable world for their communities.”

- Jared Francis, Managing Director of High School and Leadership Development

“During my most formative years, DREAM and the people there shaped my character, informed my values, and changed my life. The DREAM mission has influenced my own desire to study education and to be active in community and youth development.”

- Isaac Yearwood, DREAM ‘18, Yale University ‘24

meet the class of 2023

When we think about DREAM’s extended-day, extended-year model, the strongest proof that it works is our alumni. Every one of them has benefited from DREAM’s robust in- and out-of-school programming—from that first group of kids to step onto the Field of Dreams in 1991, all the way to the Class of 2023. Experience DREAM Charter High School’s graduation day in this powerful recap video.

Interested in learning more about how you can support DREAM scholars in their postsecondary journey? Partner with DREAM and join us in this impactful work.