Our Story
In response to a drive-by shooting in 1997 that left two Harrison School District students dead and two others imprisoned, our co-founders, Dr. H. Dalton Connor, a periodontal surgeon, and attorney Steven U. Mullens set out to design a program to positively impact the lives of students in southeastern Colorado Springs. Through a collaborative effort with Rick Price, the principal of Carmel Middle School, Peak Education was founded with the mission of empowering students to take ownership of their educational journey and receive the support and mentorship to overcome any barriers that may impede them from reaching their full potential.
Initially conceived as a scholarship-based incentive program, over more than two decades Peak Education has evolved into a mentoring and college access organization that provides long-term engagement with students and families focused on four strategies for success: developing college and career readiness, building students’ capacity for leadership, fostering full family engagement in their students’ journeys, and creating broad-based community connections.
