Every Breakthrough begins with someone who believes in what’s possible. For 35 years, YOU, our Breakthrough Miami Village, have helped make those possibilities a reality. In honor of First-Generation College Celebration Day on November 8, we’re celebrating one of our very own Breakthrough Miami Scholar Alumni whose journey reflects the power of OPPORTUNITY and what’s possible when a Village steps in to EMPOWER young people. “Breakthrough Miami helped me in a way that nobody will understand. They saved a low-income girl who dreamed of studying. Breakthrough gave resources, help, and guidance to let her accomplish the dream.” -Joscelyn Capula, Class of 2026

Breakthrough Miami is proud to welcome Griffin Catalyst—the civic engagement initiative of Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin— as a partner in expanding our nationally recognized students-teaching-students leadership pathway, creating more opportunities for young people across South Florida to teach, lead, and thrive. “Breakthrough Miami has a profound impact on the lives of Miami students by teaching them the leadership and learning skills they need to pursue their dreams and aspirations,” said Kenneth C. Griffin. “I care deeply about the lives of young people, and I am excited to know that my support of Breakthrough Miami will make a meaningful difference in our community.”

The THesis Hotel Miami came alive on March 15, 2026, as it hosted the Second Annual Brunchin’ for Breakthroughs – an interactive, student-led brunch experience filled with creativity and purpose. The event raised nearly $145,000, supporting 29 Scholars through a full year of Breakthrough’s transformational programming.

Last week, our Scholars stepped into a room full of POSSIBILITY – resumes in hand, confidence building, and futures taking shape.

Seventy-six professionals from across industries joined us to conduct one-on-one mock interviews with Scholars, offer candid feedback, and share insights from their own career journeys.

Scholars and interviewers engaged and connected through a rotation of three sets of structured 15-minute interviews followed by time for immediate feedback, coaching, and guidance, giving our emerging leaders a rare chance to practice real-world scenarios in a supportive environment. Introductions and inquiring questions quickly turned into thoughtful coaching opportunities, stronger storytelling, and genuine connections.

In just a few hours, our BreakthroughU Scholars sharpened their communication skills, clarified their goals, and walked away with new connections and confidence.

A new era begins for the Young Coders Initiative as Arihant Jaggi, a founding member, takes on the role of president, carrying forward the organization’s mission to empower young minds through computation literacy, as well as continuing its impactful collaboration with Breakthrough Miami to serve the under-resourced.

Today, on National First Gen Day, we are proud to celebrate and honor the remarkable journeys of our Scholars who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree. Their courage, dedication, and resilience blaze paths for future generations, transforming not only their own lives, but the lives of their families and communities.
This year, we shine a special spotlight on Kaitlyn Hernandez, Breakthrough Miami Scholar Alumna and proud first-generation Cuban American from Hialeah.

We’re celebrating our Breakthrough Miami Village and an incredible kick off to our school year programming! The Race to Breakthrough galvanized more than 1,000 people around the globe to make moves for Breakthrough.

In 2020, Karlee Malloy found herself restless in her home as the world grappled with the pandemic. Struggling to carve out routine and interaction during this time of isolation and uncertainty, Karlee leaned on her love of running. The freedom of setting your own goals and only competing with yourself created an outlet for her to go outside, let off steam, and stay centered.

Karlee participated in virtual fun-runs with her sister to raise money for various causes during quarantine, which gave Karlee the idea of creating a fundraising event for Breakthrough Miami. Although her time with Breakthrough before the pandemic had been brief, she was inspired by the strong relationships and level of growth that she had already witnessed.

Each summer, Career Day stands out as one of the most highly anticipated moments for our 200+ 8th-grade Scholars—and this year was no exception. Our Scholars were introduced to a wide range of industries, including architecture, entrepreneurship, equity investment, health sciences, hospitality, luxury brand marketing and sales, law, media, and wealth management.

We extend our deepest thanks to the dedicated Corporate Partners who welcomed our Scholars into their workplaces. Through your time, talent, and generosity, our Scholars were inspired by new possibilities and empowered to dream boldly about their futures.

As a core element of our Summer Institute, Career Day reflects Breakthrough Miami’s deep commitment to preparing Scholars with 21st-century skills and connecting them with real-world exposure to professional environments. Rooted in our project-based learning approach, Scholars engaged in hands-on, immersive experiences with both emerging and seasoned professionals across South Florida.

By Evan Gitlin, Breakthrough Miami Changemaker; Gulliver Preparatory Student, Class of 2026 Leadership is defined as the ability to influence and guide an individual or group towards a common goal by motivating, inspiring, and empowering others to work together...

In a city where school rivalries run deep and water polo competition is fierce, a powerful act of unity rose from heartbreak. My name is Jack Merrick and I am a junior at Ransom Everglades and a Breakthrough Miami volunteer. A few weeks ago, I led an inspiring fundraiser that raised over $6,000 to fund a scholarship in honor of Lucas Osuna, a beloved Belen Jesuit student-athlete whose life was tragically cut short.

We’re growing new breakthroughs — and heading west!

We’re proud to announce that Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is joining Breakthrough Miami as our eighth official Host Site Partner, launching a new year-round program beginning this June. With a full-time Site Director embedded on campus, this new collaboration expands our reach to more communities in West Miami-Dade — and opens new doors of opportunity for both Scholars and student leaders.

Breakthrough Miami proudly announces its selection as one of just five organizations statewide to receive a highly competitive postsecondary success grant from the Helios Education Foundation. This significant grant will enable us to expand our evidence-based college access programming, ensuring our Scholars excel academically and achieve postsecondary success. Over three years, the initiative will increase Scholar enrollment in accelerated courses, enhance academic and college advising, and launch a BreakthroughU North site, further expanding Breakthrough’s capacity to serve 1,800 Scholars annually.

Art Inspires Breakthroughs: Genesis Inspiration Foundation Partners with Breakthrough Miami Breakthrough Miami is proud to announce a new partnership with Genesis Inspiration Foundation, advancing a shared commitment to expanding access to arts education for...

Breakthrough Miami Welcomes New Board Members, Strengthening Commitment to Opportunity and Leadership Development Breakthrough Miami is proud to announce the appointment of three distinguished new board members, reinforcing our commitment to opening doors of...

Winners Announced for Breakthrough Miami’s 6th Annual Garth C. Reeves Essay Contest: Celebrating Untold Stories Breakthrough Miami proudly honors the winners of its 6th Annual Garth C. Reeves Essay Contest. This Black History Month initiative honors the legacy of...

St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School Goes the Extra Mile for Breakthrough Miami  The St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School community laced up their running shoes, hit the pavement, and made a powerful impact by hosting another incredible Alumni 5K & Fun Run in support...

It is an honor to be here today. Thank you to the Breakthrough Miami Team for entrusting me to share what is surely just a page out of the book of Breakthrough stories that you have carried out to publication over the years. I would also like to thank the THesis Hotel for holding space for this event in such a generous capacity. It is my first time here and I have to admit that I am strangely drawn to the name. Thesis, a word that would conjure harrowing images of late nights fueled by coffee and rearranged chapters for my newly graduated peers only a few months ago, here, now, takes on a new grandeur, encouraging that we “get lost” in all it has to offer. It is an approach to life that reminds me of the route I took to Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart as a Breakthrough Scholar in middle school. Around seven in the morning, waiting for a yellow bus to pick me up from Miami Gardens, the beauty of being the first stop on the route, in addition to having your pick of the seats — not under the AC unit or on top of the bump that makes room for the wheel — was that I could go back to sleep and squeeze in a full REM cycle. And when I woke, I was greeted with a land akin to paradise and funny enough, a garden by a different name: El Jardín they called it. Tall hedges that scraped the sky, hand-carved lore chiseled near the roof, intricate tiles to walk on, and in the center, after passing through a grand entrance, was a courtyard with a fountain. In fact, if you stood in just the right spot, that fountain overlooked another fountain in two different directions. Over time, I came to know which door had a narrow staircase that led you through a winding tunnel out onto a pool guarded by limestone — a morsel of the ensorcelling view of Biscayne Bay.

Brunching for Breakthroughs: Empowering Student Leadership and Philanthropy Student-led leadership and philanthropy are a hallmark of Breakthrough Miami. Our young changemakers and Scholars are on the frontlines, creating empowering spaces where youth are connected...