As we approach the end of another academic year, my heart is filled with immense gratitude for the dedicated donors and volunteers who make our mission possible.

This year, we made a strategic shift in our outreach by launching our first Spring Recruitment cycle, moving our information sessions earlier in the year to give students more time to navigate the application process.

Following the success of our March Career Panel, Minds Matter Houston (MMH) continued its spring theme of "harvesting success" with an intensive three-part workshop series.

On March 21, 2026, Minds Matter Houston (MMH) transformed the Houston Food Bank into a vibrant hub of professional discovery for our high-achieving scholars.

The ultimate testing ground for our scholars’ hard work happens during the summer months, when our rising juniors and seniors step outside their comfort zones and onto elite college campuses across the nation through Summer Programs.

This Spring semester has been a season of significant growth and preparation for all three classes at Minds Matter Houston. From mastering standardized tests to navigating the complexities of college applications and professional branding, our students have balanced rigorous AM Academic sessions with transformative PM Mentoring workshops.

Education at Minds Matter Houston has always been about more than just what happens within the four walls of a classroom. This Spring, we put that philosophy into practice with a community-wide outing to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH).

While sending our scholars to elite college campuses across the nation is always a monumental undertaking, this life-changing milestone has just been made entirely possible by our transformative new corporate partner, Sempra Infrastructure.

In the final weeks of January 2026, the Minds Matter Houston community proved that empathy knows no bounds.

We are absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to welcome Shonta’ Greenwood to the Minds Matter Houston Board of Directors!

On behalf of the entire Minds Matter Houston community, I want to express my deepest gratitude for making our inaugural Fueling Futures Fundraiser and the surrounding campaigns a resounding success.

Annalise joined Minds Matter Houston as a sophomore at Eastwood Academy in 2017. She came from a single-income family in the East End of Houston and hoped to become a first-generation college student.

The national Minds Matter organization, as a vital part of the college access pipeline, gives our Minds Matter Houston students access to some of the best colleges in the country. Thanks to our organization’s relationship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA (and the high caliber of our students) we were able to host a MMH/MIT recruitment event for our students during a Saturday Session in October!

Sophomores begin their Minds Matter journey in the fall with academic focus on practical and application writing skills. Topics covered include: grammar, essay structure for applications, drafting personal statements, communication styles, and how to build a resumé.

Juniors spend most of their academic time on SAT preparation in the fall and winter, as students typically take the SAT examination in early November and December. After the exam, their curriculum shifts to focus on writing, with special emphasis on personal essay structure, appropriate e-communications, and writing styles for applications, resumes, and cover letters.

The Senior Class focuses on SAT preparation in the fall and a combination of writing, critical thinking, research, and presentation skills that culminate in a community-based Senior Capstone project for the remainder of the year.

Every summer, our students concluding their sophomore and junior years in high school participate in the Summer Program. The students select and apply to attend rigorous 1-2 week academic camps on college campuses throughout the United States.

At Minds Matter Houston, our mission is made possible by a network of dedicated partners who believe in the potential of our students. We are incredibly grateful for the support of community partners like YES Prep, and especially to Nick

At Minds Matter, our mission goes beyond just getting students into college. We're committed to preparing them for the rigors and opportunities of life after high school.

In a deeply inspiring episode of the podcast An Educated Guest, host Todd Zipper sits down with our very own national CEO, Erika Halstead. Erika shares her personal journey from a bilingual teacher to the leader of Minds Matter