"Much if not all of my academic and life success developed through my participation with College Is Real. As a disoriented teenager entertained by the fast life, I was not interested in furthering my post-secondary education. However, College Is Real introduced an urge and the importance of completing college, and such support is responsible for my success at an elite university like University of California, Berkeley."

- Rodrigo Corona Flores

The goal

The goal of the program is to identify, motivate, educate and mentor the “college-aspirational” students at Richmond’s three public high schools in order to have as many students as possible apply to, attend, and graduate from four-year colleges. We want to change the lives of the students in the program so they can ultimately improve the lives of their families and change their communities.

Long-term success

It is important to the long-term success of the program that particular attention is paid to freshmen and sophomore students’ attendance and academic performance to get them on the right track and keep them there. There is a trend for many low-income students’ academic performance and commitment to diminish toward the end of their sophomore and into their junior years due to peer pressure to not achieve, economic pressures to work, boy-girl relationships and an attitudinal shift toward apathy. This is a common evolution with teenagers at many high schools, but is particularly pronounced in low-income areas. Long term success is achieved through holding students accountable, providing emotional and financial support, regular contact and communication, showing students someone cares about their success.

“CIR supports long-term success by showing you the path to strive and be successful at an institution of higher learning. In addition, it sets you up with opportunities to network with individuals with similar aspirations and a solid support system.”

– Fabian Martinez, San Jose, State University Class of 2017

Angelica Arriaga

executive Director, Richmond High

Angelica Arriaga serves as Executive Director of College Is Real at Richmond High School. She provides direct services to the students to ensure that they become the first in their families to go to college. In her role, she acts as the students’ academic/college advisor and is committed to guiding them through the process of accessing educational opportunities. 

Angelica was born in Lynwood, California and raised in Riverside, California. She is a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in English and Chicano Studies and the first in her family to attend and graduate from a four year university. Education has always been one of her passions. Before College Is Real Angelica was involved with student issues in various capacities. Throughout her undergraduate career at Berkeley she was dedicated to demystifying higher education for high school students at Lionel Wilson Prep and Oakland Technical High School. Angelica plans to continue working towards increasing the number of minority students on university campuses. She hopes to continue making a difference in underrepresented communities and pursue a Masters degree in Education.

Marco Echavarria

Program Director, kennedy High

Marco Echavarria is the Program Director for College Is Real at Kennedy High School. He envisions and strives to build a program that promotes the academic and personal growth of students.

Marco was born in an extremely small town in Michoacan, Mexico and emigrated to the United States at the age of nine. From a young age he observed the importance of hard work, self-improvement, and education. He attended schools throughout the Richmond community, ultimately graduating from Richmond High School and going on to receive his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of California, Irvine. Upon graduation, Marco came back to his hometown of San Pablo and sought to make a positive impact in the community, specifically for its youth. Marco understands the challenges that first-generation students face and is passionate about helping overcome them.

As a CIR alumnus himself, Marco knows the positive impact that college-focused programs can have in our community and is excited to build a program that continues to fosters this positive change with the Kennedy students.

Nancy Rojas

program Director, de anza high

Nancy Rojas is Program Director for College Is Real at De Anza High School where she provides academic and personal support in helping the students pursue their dreams towards college admission. Nancy, raised in San Francisco and then San Pablo, first got involved with CIR while a junior at Richmond High School. Nancy then attended Contra Costa Community College for two years before transferring to San Jose State University where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. Nancy is deservedly proud to be the first in her family to receive a high school diploma and then to graduate from college.

During her undergraduate career Nancy provided tutoring to students in a local elementary school, helping them become proficient in Math and English. Nancy also participated in the Educational Opportunity Program at SJSU where she received academic counseling and mentoring.

Having experienced first-hand the importance CIR had in her life, upon graduation Nancy returned to the local community to “pay it forward” and joined the CIR team as the Program Director at De Anza. Nancy is committed to being as impactful as she can in making a difference in her community, and is eager to play such a key role in improving the lives of the students she serves.

Mario Ortega

Assistant Program Director, Richmond High

Mario is an Assistant Program Director at Richmond High School where he serves as an outreach for students in need of academic and personal support.  Having lived in San Pablo/Richmond his whole life, Mario has a deep understanding of the community, its people, and its culture.  

Mario first became involved in CIR as a freshman, and graduated from Richmond High School in 2018. Following graduation he attended San Francisco State University, where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration Management in 2022. 

As a CIR Alum and first-generation student, Mario knows the importance and impact CIR can have on our high school students as they move forward with their college aspirations. Having seen the importance and impact of CIR first hand, Mario is eager to pay it forward by joining the CIR team and bringing his experience and passion to help our students succeed.

Daniel Luna

college success program director

Daniel was born in Oakland, California and raised in Richmond, California. After graduating from Richmond High School in 2014, he attended Contra Costa College before transferring and then graduating from San Francisco State University where he majored in Latinx Studies while minoring in Education. While at SF State he began his career in education by volunteering as a tutor for an after-school program at a local grade school in San Francisco’s Mission District. After college graduation he began to serve educational programs and schools around the Bay Area, including City Year Inc. (AmeriCorps), Jamestown Community Center, Helms Middle School, and now College Is Real.

A passion of his is to give back to the community he came from and support the youth of Richmond. He is excited to be able to serve the new generation of students from the community and help provide a safe and cultivating program as they continue to navigate and plan their futures. As a first-generation college graduate himself, he understands the challenges and difficulties the College Is Real students face in their pursuit of higher education. His role as the College Success Program Director allows him to be in a unique position to support CIR students with their academic and professional goals and aspirations.

Briana Moreno Sanchez

BRIDGE Program Director

Briana Moreno Sanchez is the Program Director for College Is Real’s new BRIDGE program. In this role Briana provides middle school students with the tools, support, and knowledge to facilitate their effective transition to high school.

Briana was born in Berkeley, CA, and raised in Richmond, CA. She attended Richmond High School and graduated in the class of 2017. She then attended Sonoma State University and received her Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in Women’s and Gender Studies and Psychology.

While a student at Sonoma State, Briana supported and mentored many first-generation, low-income students in their transition from high school to college. As a first-generation student herself, she understood the importance of support in a student’s educational career and its meaning for student success. Briana became a summer bridge leader and a peer mentor in the Educational Opportunities Program at SSU. She facilitated community building, conflict resolution, and career exploration. In addition, she also assisted students with financial aid and building their course schedules. Briana is excited to be a part of the CIR team and being able to give back to her community in such a meaningful way.Berkeley, CA, and raised in Richmond, CA. She attended Richmond High School and graduate

Brad Blake

President & Founder

Brad Blake is the founder and president of College Is Real. He leads the board of directors and is responsible for the organization’s strategy, fund raising, financial management and overall organization.

In his business pursuits, Mr. Blake co-founded and is managing partner of Blake Griggs Properties, a private real estate development, investment and services company based in Danville, California. BGP develops and acquires residential, retail and mixed-use projects in California.

Prior to forming BGP, Mr. Blake was the founder and CEO of Blake Hunt Ventures, one of the leading retail developers in Northern California. Mr. Blake was also the former Chairman and CEO of Western Properties Trust, a publicly-traded REIT, and Senior Vice President of Spieker Properties. Prior to his real estate career he worked for IBM and McKinsey and Company.

Mr. Blake holds a B.A. from Stanford University (1980) and a M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business (1985).

Mr. Blake is on the board of directors of the Bailard REIT and a former board member of Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation.

David Millstein

Chief Operating Officer (volunteer) & Board member

In collaboration with our board, staff and our many volunteers, David is committed to increase the number of students we serve at Richmond public high schools and to identify opportunities to improve upon our already successful college readiness model through alliances with other organizations. David is also on the advisory board of Richmond Promise where he works closely with its executive director in building a college-graduating culture in Richmond. David manages CIR's fundraising process and leads our efforts to engage employee groups at Bay Area companies to support our mentor as well as tutor needs. David has been a mentor to RHS students and a CIR board member since 2011.

Since his retirement as a PricewaterhouseCoopers partner after a 32-year career, David has served on a number of charity boards, including the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation where he recently completed his second tenure as board chair. David has also served on public and private company boards, and was a Senior Director of the Wharton School's Institute of Executive Education.

A CPA (inactive), David is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School as well as its School of Law and received a Masters in Taxation from the New York University Graduate School of Law. David was an officer in the U.S. Army and a Vietnam veteran.

Brad Blake

The founder and president of College Is Real. Brad is the Managing Partner of Blake Griggs Properties, a Bay Area-based real estate development and services company focused on multi-family, mixed-use and retail projects in California (www.bhvcp.com). He is a graduate of Stanford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

DAVID MILLSTEIN

A retired partner with PwC, David is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Law School. He has been involved with College Is Real as a board member and mentor since 2011 and serves as volunteer Chief Operating Officer. David has also been a long-time board member (former board chair) of Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area.

Samantha Suriano

Samantha is a graduate of Richmond High and a former member of College is Real, having joined in 2007 as one of the first girls in the program. She went on to graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Samantha is currently a Project Manager for United Mechanical, a Bay Area mechanical contractor based in Alameda. Samantha lives in Richmond.

Susan lopera overton

A partner and vice president with Merlone Geier Partners, a San Francisco-based commercial real estate investment, development and operating company. Susan has been involved with CIR since 2007 as a board member and mentor.

Eric Tuckness

The Global Vice President OEM Sales, specializing in new business, monetization, and strategic partnerships at McAfee. He has over 20 years of experience in sales, managing operations, and supporting a team. Eric serves on The Ertz Family Foundation Advisory Committee. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Business.

Peter Waldron

Peter Waldron is a Managing Partner at Waldron Partners. His practice specializes in working with Ultra High Net Worth Families on their planning needs and focuses on the areas of Estate, Investment, Retirement and Tax Planning. Peter earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Colorado State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from St. Mary’s College. Peter’s family of 7 resides in Alamo where he serves his community through his active philanthropy.

TANK WILLIAMS

An entrepreneur who seeks investment opportunities via residential real estate, the stock market and venture capital, Tank is also an NFL and fantasy football analyst for Yahoo Sports. A graduate of Stanford University with a BA in Political Science, Tank played seven years in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots.