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.
February 23, 2024
6:00-9:00 p.m.
JW Marriott Austin
Cocktail attire
Purchase a table or ticket to Reach for the Stars
Premier Sponsorship Opportunities
Table Sponsorship Opportunities
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
Valedictorian Sponsors
The Law Office of Becky Beaver
The Kennedy Family
Janet Walkow and Irl Barg
Salutatorian Sponsors
Carol McGarah
O’Connell-Robertson
Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company
STG Design
Young Women’s Preparatory Network
Honors Sponsors
Ted and Katharine Barnhill
Karen and Brian Burgess
Dr. Harry Griffith
Halff
Peggy Hanley
Jackie and Albert Hawkins
Karen and Wade Howard
Susan and Luther Johnson
Cynthea Rhodes-Patterson
Mark and Angela Pringle
Randi Shade and Kayla Shell
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.
