I am excited about the opportunity to connect student and educator stories to the intentional design of the work we are all doing here at AVID Summer Institute. It’s an honor to be the bridge between what people will witness and learn about our guest speakers and help translate that into what participants can do at their sites and their schools. I hope to help people make a connection to what they are experiencing and help them realize that each of their students, their students’ families, and their colleagues also have stories to connect with and that stories closer to home are just as important and poignant. Impact happens when you take action on what you heard and learned. I am excited to inspire participants to take action and commit to fundamentally changing the trajectory of students’ lives.