00 / Stories
The proof is
the Scholars.
A 100% college acceptance rate. A 100% college graduation rate. Here is what that looks like.
01 / In their words
Meet Eduardo Hernandez.
Atlas Scholars pushed Eduardo to wrestle with harder questions about his future — and supported him through the uncertainty. Today he’s studying Computer Science & Math at MIT.
“Outside of Atlas, I was surrounded by people who didn’t expect much from me. In Atlas, I was asked harder questions — the kind that forced me to confront uncertainty early on, but in a safe environment with people who knew how to guide me.”
Eduardo Hernandez · Class of 2024 · CS & Math @ MIT
02 / Where they come from
Where the Class of 2028 comes from.
Every summer a new class arrives. The Class of 2028 — 24 Scholars from 18 high schools across 6 districts — comes from all over the city. The map shades each Houston neighborhood by the Opportunity Atlas's measure of upward mobility; the dots are the cohort's schools. Talent turns up everywhere. Opportunity doesn't.
Adult household income for kids who grew up low-income — lower (brick) to higher (teal) mobility.
Shading: each neighborhood's predicted adult household income for kids who grew up in low-income families. Source: The Opportunity Atlas (2018), Opportunity Insights / U.S. Census Bureau. School locations approximate.
03 / Where they landed
Every class. Every college.
Each box is one Scholar’s college destination, class by class.
04 / What they study
What they study.
Primary field of study, across alumni who have declared a major.
Including the unexpected — neuroscience, oceanography, sport management, and kinesiology.
From aerospace engineering to journalism, computer science to kinesiology — Atlas Scholars don’t funnel down a single path. The mentorship, exposure, and confidence Scholars build prepare them to thrive in whatever career or field they choose.
05 / Where they work
Where they work.
Alumni launch into every kind of room: a third start in finance or consulting, and the rest fan out across energy, tech, medicine, aerospace, public service, and the classroom.
A selection of alumni employers — first jobs and beyond.
06 / Where they are now
150+ Scholars, and counting.
More than 150 Scholars have been impacted, including 93 Scholars actively supported by the program today — from this year’s first years to those who just graduated from college.
Joseias Esayas
Class of 2025
International Affairs & Finance · Princeton
Karis Vickers
Class of 2024
Biology · UT San Antonio
Victor Zhang
Class of 2024
Finance · Notre Dame
Zion Duplechain
Class of 2023
Electrical Engineering · Columbia
Bella Garcia
Class of 2022
Environmental Studies · Yale
Yarselyn Flores
Class of 2021
Economics · University of Chicago
Sam Buley
Class of 2019
Aerospace Engineer · NASA
Astrid Escobar
Class of 2018
Board Governance · KIPP
Kiara Guyton
Class of 2018
Growth · Meta
Haeyun Lee
Class of 2017
Media Distribution · NBA
Mai Pham
Class of 2015
Chief Growth Officer · Forum3
John Dana
Class of 2015
Officer · U.S. Navy
07 / On Instagram
@atlasscholars →
