–Peak Education Scholar Thomas Gonzales.
Recognizing their deep concern for the betterment of low income students in the Colorado Springs school district Dr. H. Dalton Conner (internationally respected periodontitis) and Steven U. Mullens (attorney-at-law) established a scholarship program which was to become Peak Education. Since 1998 Dalton and Steve through Peak Education have been committed to giving hope and a better future to students who otherwise may not have been afforded the opportunity to attend college or even finish high school. The first students targeted were 6th graders with academic potential from a school district with a high rate of at-risk students. Those selected were guaranteed college scholarships if they earned good grades and displayed positive behavior. Middle school was chosen as the age when students were recruited believing that “Middle school is the ‘fork in the road’ in a child’s life, the time when academic planning, as well as rigor, for college preparation must begin”. Sallie Mae Fund report However, it soon became evident that despite the good intentions of a scholarship program, students in generational poverty face overwhelming challenges hindering their ability to stay focused on academic and personal goals. Peak Education believes that student retention and success requires a comprehensive model that includes the involvement and mentoring of parents and/or guardians. Now in our fourteenth year, Peak Education has developed a proven model of success built on mentoring, in-school and after-school programs, and life- enhancing experiences which help Peak Education students graduate from high school and pursue advanced degrees.
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