This fall marks a season of historic growth at Summit Academy OIC. With record-breaking enrollment, newly completed campus renovations, and the launch of our unlicensed Dental Assistant training, Summit is expanding opportunity like never before.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Summit Academy OIC’s long-awaited campus renovation and expansion is complete.
In September, Summit celebrated the largest enrollment in our history. More students than ever are walking through our doors, eager to learn, work hard, and build brighter futures for themselves and their families.
We are close to reaching our $2 million goal—just $200,000 away from unlocking an additional $2 million match from an anonymous donor.
This challenge grant will fuel Summit’s continued growth, helping expand access to no-cost, high-quality training and preparing even more students for family-sustaining careers.
Every dollar brings us closer to transforming more lives through education and opportunity.
When Essi, a 2024 Summit graduate, joined Summit’s financial services training, she was ready for a new start.
Raised in Togo, West Africa, Essi always dreamed of a career in law. After immigrating to the U.S., she spent years working to support her family, but the pandemic prompted her to re-evaluate her path.
When a manager encouraged her to explore Summit, Essi enrolled in the financial services training. “When I got into it, I was interested right away,” she recalls. “It felt like I was back in the field that I loved.”
Through her training, she connected with a guest speaker from CBRE, leading to an interview and a new position. Today, Essi is thriving in a career she loves.
When Miquel Purvis McMoore (shown at right with Leroy West, President & CEO, and Bill Parker, outgoing Board Chair (2023-2025)) first heard Summit’s former president, Louis King, say, “The best social service program in the world is a job,” she was inspired to learn more.
Years later, as Chair of Summit’s Board of Directors and CEO of kpCompanies, Miquel is guiding Summit into a new era of growth and innovation.
“My life’s work has always centered on creating access—ensuring people have opportunities to earn, grow, and lead,” she says. “That’s what drew me to Summit, and it’s what keeps me here.”
Under her leadership, Summit is deepening partnerships with employers, expanding access to training, and building direct pathways from the classroom to the boardroom.
“Every graduation reminds me why this matters,” she reflects. “We’re investing in something that changes families, neighborhoods, and our entire community.”
You can help create life-changing opportunities for students and families:
Every act of support helps build a thriving community where everyone has the chance to succeed.