Reach for the Stars is the Ann Richards School Foundation’s annual fundraising gala to recognize the graduating class of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and celebrate their bright futures.
April 4, 2025
6:00-9:00 p.m.
JW Marriott Austin
Cocktail attire
Reach for the Stars Event Details
Thank You to our 2025 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Jeanne Goka Alumni of the Year Award Sponsor
Beverly Dale
Alumni Sponsor
Nona Niland
Profiles of Opportunity Video Sponsor
Decor Sponsor
Donate to Support the Stars
Event proceeds support the Ann Richards School Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that ensures Ann Richards School students gain the confidence and skills to apply, attend, and graduate from college.
HonoringAnn Richards Legacy Award RecipientDr. Ruth Simmons
Dr. Ruth Simmons has spent 50 years in higher education and served as president of Brown University, Smith College, and Prairie View A&M University, an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). After completing her Ph.D. in romance languages and literatures at Harvard, she served in various faculty and administrative roles at the University of Southern California, Princeton University, and Spelman College before becoming president of Smith College, the largest women’s college in the United States. At Smith, she launched a number of important academic initiatives, including an engineering program, the first at an American women’s college.
Dr. Ruth J. Simmons recently published her memoir, Up Home: One Girl’s Journey. The recounting of her life’s journey in the page turning, 204-page memoir was written, she says, to “help young people understand that whatever the circumstances of their lives, they are born not to be the person that history, limited resources, and others dictate but, rather, the person they are willing to pour their heart and soul into becoming.”
2024 Reach for the Stars Invitation
Event proceeds support the Ann Richards School Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that ensures Ann Richards School students gain the confidence and skills to apply, attend, and graduate from college.
Thank You to our 2024 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Jeanne Goka Alumni of the Year Award Sponsor
Beverly Dale
Pathway to the Stars Video Sponsor
VIP Reception Sponsor
Valedictorian Sponsors
Cheryl Allen and Carol Polumbo
The Law Office of Becky Beaver
The Kennedy Family
Janet Walkow and Irl Barg
Salutatorian Sponsors
Friends of Coach Conradt
Susan Crews and Kelly Kolodzey
Mindy Ellmer
Insperity
Carol McGarah
O’Connell Robertson
Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company
STG Design
Young Women’s Preparatory Network
Honors Sponsors
Brooke and Lance Akins
Ted and Katharine Barnhill
BGE
Black Barn Financial
Sharon Blythe
Travis County Judge Andy Brown
Karen and Brian Burgess
Dennis and Kathy Burrell
Jill DiCuffa and Robert Kilgore
DPR Construction
Drs. Kaye and Pat Forgione
The Garcia Family
Travis County Attorney Delia Garza
Idona and Harry Griffith
Halff
Peggy Hanley
Jackie and Albert Hawkins
H-E-B
Don and Pat Herron
Commissioner Ann Howard
Karen and Wade Howard
Susan and Luther Johnson
Kimley-Horn
McBride Family
Miller Lloyd P.C.
Lucy and Ellis Oglesby
Yael Ouzillou and Richard Merren
Pape-Dawson Engineers
Candace and Michael Partridge
Cynthea Rhodes-Patterson
Janis and Joe Pinnelli
PMI Austin Experts
Mark and Angela Pringle
Lynda Rife and Wally Vog
Sanchez Law
Randi Shade and Kayla Shell
Commissioner Brigid Shea
Sam and Diane Smith Family
Texas International Education Consortium
Tobi Taub Personal Fitness Training
Commissioner Jeff Travillion
Truist
Kristen Vassallo and John Fitzpatrick
Snow White
Special Thanks
Austin Beerworks
Franklin BBQ
JW Marriott Austin
Will Klemm
McGuire Moorman Hospitality
Tecovas
Rina VonFrisch and Kendra Scott, LLC
Thank You Reach for the Stars Donors
Jim Edwards
Val and Jeff Newberg
Marci Rosenberg
Marc Winkelman
Thank You to the Reach for the Stars Committee
Commissioner Ann Howard, Chair
Ted Barnhill
Becky Beaver
Julie Choyce
Karen Howard
Jennifer Koppel
Maile Molin
Lucy Oglesby
Randi Shade
Rina vonFrisch
2023 Reach for the Stars Recap
HonoringAnn Richards Legacy Award RecipientVanessa Wyche
Learn more about Vanessa Wyche
Featuring a Student-led Panel with the 19th News
Our Ann Richards School students will be joined on a panel with 19th News co-founders Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora. The 19th News is an independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on gender, politics, and policy.
Learn more about the 19th News
Thank You to our 2023 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Ann Richards Legacy Award Sponsor
Graduate Sponsor
Shamina Singh
Valedictorian Sponsors
Janet Walkow and Irl Barg
Salutatorian Sponsors
Sally Clark-Raphael
Susan and Bill Crews
Insperity
Kelly and J.B. Kolodzey
The Kennedy Family
Law Office of Becky Beaver
O’Connell Robertson
Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company
Young Women’s Preparatory Network
Kristen Vassallo and John Fitzpatrick
Honors Sponsors
1990 Campaign
Austin Asset
Ted and Katharine Barnhill
Sharon Blythe
Karen and Brian Burgess
Kathy Burrell
DPR Construction
Mindy Ellmer
Jehmu Greene
Jackie and Albert Hawkins
Friends of Eric Heineman
Susan and Luther Johnson
Robert Kilgore
Miller Lloyd P.C.
Yael Ouzillou and Richard Merren
Chris Plonsky and Friends of the Ann Richards School
Texas International Education Consortium, Robin Lerner, President & CEO
Truist | Anna Sanchez
The University of Texas at Austin
Marissa and Brian Vogel
Special Thanks
Rina VonFrisch and Kendra Scott, LLC
2022 Reach for the Stars Recap
Please enjoy a virtual presentation of Reach for the Stars where we celebrated the Class of 2022, our college-bound program success, and the Ann Richards Legacy Award recipient.
Elizabeth Avellán has produced groundbreaking genre and family films that have collectively grossed over a billion dollars. Avellán began her producing career with Robert Rodriguez on their first legendary indie film El Mariachi, a winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. She has produced such films as the Spy Kids franchise, Frank Miller’s Sin City, Predators, Machete, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, and Grindhouse.
Thank You to our 2022 Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Ann Richards Legacy Award Sponsor
Graduate Sponsor
Shamina Singh
Valedictorian Sponsors
Cirrus Logic
Janet Walkow and Irl Barg
Salutatorian Sponsors
Ted and Katharine Barnhill
Rebecca Contreras, President & CEO of AG – Author Lost Girl
H-E-B
Insperity
The Kennedy Family
Carol McGarah
Candace and Michael Partridge | Brooke Ornelas-Flanagan
The Sam and Diane Smith Family
Virtus Real Estate Capital
Young Women’s Preparatory Network
Honors Sponsors
Theresa and Raul Alvarez
Austin Asset
BB Imaging – TeleScan
Law Office of Becky Beaver
Karen and Brian Burgess
Kathy Burrell
Sally Clark-Raphael | Nicole Willis
Susan and Bill Crews
Velma Cruz
DPR Construction
Lynne Dobson
Jehmu Greene
Sara and Rusty Hruby
John and Leslie Hunt, Bill and Rosemary Moore, and Trevor and Courtney Moore
Susan and Luther Johnson | Jackie and Albert Hawkins
Robert Kilgore
Kelly and J.B. Kolodzey
Manuel Martin and Lori McClure
O’Connell Robertson | Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company
Yael Ouzillou and Richard Merren
Chris Plonsky
The University of Texas at Austin
Kristen Vassallo and John Fitzpatrick
2021 Reach for the Stars Recap
Please enjoy Reach for the Stars as we feature student-led video interviews with inspiring notables who represent the core values of the Ann Richards School within the school’s academic pathways.
View the 2021 Reach for the Stars event program.
Support the Ann Richards School Foundation and Reach for the Stars with a donation today.
2021 Reach for the Stars Featuring
An interview with Yamiche Alcindor
White House correspondent for the PBS NewsHour and a political contributor for NBC News and MSNBC
An interview with Dr. Jewel Mullen
Associate Dean for Health Equity at the Dell Medical School, an internist, epidemiologist, public health physician leader and the former principal deputy assistant secretary for health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
An interview with Reshma Saujani
Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code
Meet your 2021 Reach for the Stars Emcees
The Starlight News Crew
Lizbeth
Annalissa
Sukeji
Emme
Reach for the Stars is the Ann Richards School Foundation’s annual fundraising gala to recognize the graduating class of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and celebrate their bright futures.
