The Investment That Doesn't Stop at Graduation

By the time a Memphis student walks across their graduation stage, more than $250,000 has been invested in their education — federal, state, and local dollars combined. Every year, that adds up to more than $1.4 billion crossing those stages in Shelby County alone.

That's a significant commitment to our students. The question is what happens next.

Where the gap lives

The years right after high school are among the most critical and the most fragile in a young person's life. Many graduates leave with real potential and too little support. Some move away for college and never return. Others hit the five-year wall, unable to finish the degree or certification that opens the next door.

For first-generation students navigating college without a roadmap, even the most prepared graduates can find themselves adrift. Hundreds of our graduates are the first in their families to finish high school. The academic preparation is there, but the road ahead is anything but simple.

The investment has already been made. The question is whether it compounds or gets lost.

Closing the gap: Choose901 Alumni

Choose901 Alumni was built for exactly this moment. Each year, 500 graduates from six Memphis partner schools are welcomed into a network designed to carry them through those critical post-graduation years,whatever path they choose. From job placement and career guidance to personal development and community connection, Choose901 Alumni walks alongside them through the moments that matter most.

The work starts before graduation. Real relationships are built while students are still in high school, so that by the time they walk across that stage, they're already connected. The goal: help them clear the hurdles, stay in Memphis, and grow into the contributors this city needs.

That's roughly $100 million of Memphis's annual education investment staying right here- supported, surrounded, and growing.

The return we're working toward

Choose901 Alumni are becoming the next wave of leaders, contributors, and community builders in this city. When we support them well, they give back, and Memphis grows stronger for it.

Your monthly gift to Give901 helps make sure that support stays consistent, reliable, and within reach for every graduate who needs it.