At the Academy of Hope (AoH), we want our learners to succeed not only in the classroom but also beyond graduation. Our alumni engagement program, Hope Forward, is a 12-month graduate transition program designed to equip all AoH alumni with the tools and resources they need to achieve their educational and career goals.
The idea of Hope Forward was born by Chief Strategy & Growth Officer Joy Bentley Phillips and Director of GED and Graduate Services Jenaine Butler. The two were passionate about engaging alumni by providing the tools and resources they needed in this transitional phase. Jenaine would design, implement, and facilitate sessions in the program for AoH’s first two cohorts during the 2023-2024 school year. Since then, there have been five successful cohorts.
Each Hope Forward cohort selects around 30 driven AoH alumni to participate in their two-phase program, a 24-week program. Phase 1 is a 12-week intensive that includes virtual sessions four times a week, discussing various topics, such as SMART goals, self-care, elevator pitches, resume building, and more.
“Academy of Hope is showing me how to do me,” Hope Forward Cohort 5 participant Angela Wheeler Zapta said.
Program Manager Tiah Lormejuste leads classes, while specialized career and college readiness classes are covered by AoH coaches with expertise in designated areas (I.e., IT or healthcare). For instance, Employment Specialist Jamier Jones supports CompTIA alumni by introducing IT careers and guiding them through digital tools like Google Workspace.
Additionally, participants also gain access to structured personal development support as part of the program’s four-day weekly structure. Administrative Assistant Angel Harris leads Wednesday Wisdom, a dedicated personal development session focused on motivation, self-reflection, and mindset building. These sessions encourage alumni to pause, reset, and strengthen the confidence and resilience needed to stay engaged, focused, and committed to their goals throughout the program and in their lives beyond it.
The program also includes a Leadership Series, curated and led by Jenaine, that brings AoH leaders and partners into direct engagement with participants. Through these masterclasses, alumni gain exposure to diverse leadership perspectives and actionable strategies. Sessions include learning how to manage personal finances, making a social impact, and engaging in community discussions. The goal is to help participants build confidence, strengthen leadership skills, and connect personal growth to meaningful outcomes that support success beyond graduation.
Alumni complete Phase 1 once they have finished all classes, met the “milestones” (homework assignments and coaching sessions), and submitted their final portfolio. The portfolio consists of a professional headshot, an updated cover letter and resume, a LinkedIn account, and a detailed career plan. In the last two weeks of the phase, the cohort practices and applies the skills they’ve learned from sessions and their portfolio in mock-interviews, where they receive feedback on their interviewing skills. As each milestone is completed, alumni are rewarded with stipend installments totaling $1,500 by the end of the program.
Throughout Phase 1, each cohort meets for three in-person events to encourage community building. The first event is always a vision board night, where alumni transform their SMART goals into paper to help visualize their future. Field trips and college tours to local institutes also occur.
Phase 1 concludes with a Networking Event, a celebratory mixer that recognizes participant commitment and growth. Alumni complete a final mock interview, receive professional feedback, and are awarded a Hope Forward Certificate of Completion.
“One of our goals is to get them employed. But we’ve been seeing more than that, seeing this level of mindset shifting, purpose finding, and community building,” Tiah said.
When alumni progress to Phase 2, they spend the next 12 weeks attending bi-monthly sessions. Specialized coaches remain accessible to alumni for support. After Phase 2, they officially completed the program and transitioned to the AoH Alumni Association, where they can continue their professional and personal development, with various opportunities, including mentoring current learners and recent graduates.
Hope Forward’s sixth cohort will begin in the Winter 2026 semester. As the program grows and evolves, program leaders hope to apply feedback from exit interviews to introduce financial literacy and health and wellness partners into Hope Forward. Plans also include incorporating more professional certifications for alumni to earn in addition to the program’s and ChatGPT credentials.
By continuously refining the program, Hope Forward leaders intend to establish a program that effectively prepares and supports alumni futures that serve as a model for adult education institutes nationwide.