A day celebrating education is also an excellent opportunity to congratulate Reich College’s College Access Partnerships program team for securing the largest single grant ever awarded to the university: $35 million. The grant, from the U.S. Department of Education, will allow the university to expand our GEAR UP college access program, providing college and career services to thousands of middle and high school students. App State is one of only 18 institutions nationwide awarded a GEAR UP grant in 2024. I applaud College Access Partnerships Executive Director Dr. James Beeler and GEAR UP Director Corinne Smith for their continued leadership and efforts to help ensure that access to higher education is available for thousands more students in our region. I hope you’ll read this news story about this remarkable achievement.