On June 5, family, friends, and mentors gathered to celebrate the 50 graduates of AHC’s College & Career Readiness (CCR) program. The milestone was doubly significant: this year marks CCR’s 10th anniversary, coinciding with AHC’s own 50th year of serving the community.
Of the 50 graduates, 49 are college-bound and one plans to enlist in the military. Together, the graduates have been awarded $2.7 million in scholarships and financial aid — and counting. The class applied to 97 schools and received 132 acceptances.
Forty-seven of the 50 graduates identify as first-generation college students, making them the first in their families to reach this educational milestone. A record 10 students in this cohort are siblings of fellow CCR participants — part of a broader legacy of 23 sibling pairs since the program’s inception. At least 11 countries are represented among the class, including Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Pakistan.
The graduation ceremony brought together tutors, mentors, and staff members to celebrate the class, and featured a keynote address from graduating senior Nehemiah Abraha, who has been part of AHC’s community programming since kindergarten.
Through CCR, Nehemiah connected with opportunities including a selective summer program through the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America at Princeton and Yale. He was admitted to Carnegie Mellon University’s Class of 2030 and received the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, which includes a guaranteed software engineering internship after his freshman year.
In his speech, Nehemiah encouraged his fellow graduates to stay present in all that they do. “Life is too short not to be present and we only have this chance once,” he said. “Embrace your failures and wins — you will always learn more from them.” He also called on the broader community to keep investing in young people: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
“I can’t stress enough how much AHC has been able to meet my passion for my career prospects by putting me in touch with people who might be able to help me achieve my goals and aspirations.”
— Nehemiah, 2026 CCR Graduate
This year’s graduates received several prestigious scholarships and awards, including multiple Arlington Community Foundation scholarships, the Edu-Futuro Scholarship, the Chick-fil-A Scholarship, the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, Virginia Tuition Grants, and presidential awards from institutions including Virginia Tech and the New York Institute of Technology. In May, AHC also held a Decision Day event for CCR seniors and celebrated their next steps.
CCR mentors play important roles in students’ success, often working with them for several years. Their connection to the students creates lasting and meaningful relationships.
Thank you to all the mentors, community partners, supporters, and volunteers — including the American Pharmacists Association, NeighborWorks, and all our individual contributors — for celebrating the Class of 2026 and playing such an important role in their success.
Where the Graduates Are Headed After Graduation
- Carnegie Mellon University
- George Mason University
- The George Washington University
- James Madison University
- Military
- Montgomery Community College
- Norfolk State University
- Northern Virginia Community College
- Radford University
- Towson University
- University of the District of Columbia
- University of Virginia
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Tech
Interested in Mentoring or Tutoring? Learn more.
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