The Ann Richards School proudly celebrated a major milestone as 100 Stars from the Class of 2026 crossed the stage and officially became graduates.
The Class of 2026 leaves behind an impressive record of achievement. Together, these graduates earned nearly $26 million in merit-based scholarships, submitted 859 college applications, and received 548 offers of admission. This fall, they will continue their educational journeys at 47 colleges and universities across 22 states, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Their accomplishments reflect the hard work, determination, and leadership that define Ann Richards School students. From academic excellence to college readiness, the Class of 2026 has demonstrated what is possible when young women are empowered to pursue their goals and lead with confidence.
As they embark on their next chapter, these graduates join a growing network of Ann Richards School alumni making an impact around the world.
Since the school’s first graduating class in 2013, a total of 1,224 Stars have graduated from the Ann Richards School. Collectively, those graduates have earned more than $227 million in merit-based scholarships, creating opportunities for higher education and future success that continue to transform lives and communities.
The results are clear. More than 82% of Ann Richards School alumni are enrolled in or have graduated from college, more than 500 college degrees have been earned, and 57 graduate and doctoral degrees have been completed. These outcomes reflect the strength of a community dedicated to helping young women persist through college, launch meaningful careers, and become leaders in their communities.
While graduation marks the end of one chapter, it is only the beginning of the next. The Class of 2026 now joins a powerful network of alumni who are pursuing careers in education, healthcare, business, public service, technology, and countless other fields.
We congratulate the Class of 2026 on this remarkable achievement and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish as the next generation of young women leaders.
Congratulations, Stars!
Class of 2026 grads are enrolled in 47 unique colleges and universities across 22 states, Canada, and the Netherlands:
Angelo State University
Arizona State University
Austin Community College
Baylor University
Chapman University
Colorado State University
Dominican University
Iowa State University
Kean University
Knox College
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Maine Maritime Academy
Marist University
McGill University
Missouri State University
Mount Holyoke College
Nazareth University
Occidental College
Saint Edward’s University
Savannah College of Art and Design
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University
Southwestern University
Temple University
Texas A&M University
Texas State University
Texas Tech University
The College of Wooster
The George Washington University
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Tulane University
Union College
Universiteit van Amsterdam
University of Arkansas
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of New Mexico
University of Oregon
University of Rhode Island
University of San Diego
University of Texas of the Permian Basin
University of the Incarnate Word
University of Vermont
Whitman College
Willamette University
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Valedictorian Speech
Hello! I’m Sophia Holt, and I’m the Valedictorian of the Ann Richards Class of 2026. I’ve had a personal interest in astronomy since I can remember. It’s stuck with me long enough to even influence my college major. As I’ve been planning my next steps towards college, I’ve been reflecting on my time at Ann Richards, and in my reflection I’ve discovered a connection to my aforementioned interest: stars truly are a perfect mascot for our school. I’m sure some of you might be thinking, “Oh, here goes Sophia yapping about space again,” but hear me out. Stars embody the Ann Richards experience, through their representation of change, leadership, and collaboration.
Stars undergo many phases in their lifetimes, just like Ann Richards students. I remember entering the building during Transition Camp as a new 6th grader, wide-eyed at all it had to offer. I’ve changed a lot from when I was that eager little girl, as we all have. From the Animal Enrichment project in 6th grade to the Capstone project in senior year, we’ve learned a lot of technical and critical thinking skills. In addition, we’ve learned how to adapt to challenges. In middle school, we all tackled the beast that was online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the need for social distance didn’t stop us from being a community. I remember setting up lunch-time Zoom meetings with my friends so we could chat outside of class time, exemplifying how we found ways to stay connected despite our physical distance from each other. In 10th grade, we all had our Cornerstone projects, in which we had to apply our pathway-specific learning in a more long-term fashion. As engineering students, we definitely faced our fair amount of challenges with building those sheds, but now that experience is one of my fondest memories from ARS. This ability to embrace challenges and not let them overwhelm you is one of the greatest skills I’ve learned from Ann Richards, and I believe this applies to every Ann Richards student. Like a star, we learn to persist through the flares and solar storms to remain shining.
Another reason I find stars to be the perfect metaphor for the Ann Richards experience is because of their role in a star system. Many stars have planets and moons orbiting them, vastly different, yet bound by the star’s immense gravity to remain in proximity. Ann Richards has taught me to find and create my own star system— to be that anchor that brings people together. In freshman year, I helped found the ARS Robotics Club. We started out small and inexperienced, but over the last four years we have grown into a multi-team, multi-grade level community of young engineers and creative thinkers. Through my position of leadership within this club I’ve learned a lot about myself: both strengths and flaws. I’ve learned methods for how to lead with my teammates, not for them, avoiding my subconscious desire for control. Many students in the Class of 2026 have launched new clubs and organizations– the Asian Student Alliance, the softball team, and the Banned Books Club, to name a few. We’ve had opportunities to practice our leadership and, in doing so, bring people together.
Looking out into this crowd is like looking out into the vast night sky; full of dazzling stars with such varied and brilliant futures. Yet, from up here, I can see the constellations we form. Our shared experiences at the Ann Richards School have fostered long-lasting bonds that will stretch metaphorical light years as we go out to make a difference in the world. Not only do we have these existing connections, but we have learned the importance of collaboration, how to further expand our astronomical networks. I know that, like the thousands and thousands of stars we see at night— their luminosity cast into the inky black void across millions of miles to reach us— the Class of 2026 will leave an impact that will last far beyond our lifetimes. Go out into the world and remember that we will shine brightest together— a constellation of stars illuminating the night sky. Thank you.
