A certificate, credential, or college degree is more than a line on a resume. It is a doorway to stability, higher earning potential, and the kind of freedom that can change a family’s story for generations. When young people complete postsecondary education or training, they do not just improve their own outcomes. They strengthen Houston’s workforce, expand opportunity, and return as leaders who invest in the communities that shaped them.
Milestone 4 is MBK Houston’s commitment to helping students not only enroll, but persist and finish. Too often, first-generation and low-income students face barriers like affordability, limited guidance, and life responsibilities that pull them off track. We believe success is possible when institutions work together to increase access, reduce barriers, and connect education to meaningful employment.
This is community work. It takes families, schools, colleges, training providers, nonprofits, mentors, and employers moving together so students feel supported at every transition. That is why MBK Houston aligns cross-sector partners and embeds navigation, accountability, and wraparound supports at key moments, ensuring students have what they need to start strong and finish what they begin.
What we are building together
To create lasting change in Milestone 4: Complete Post-Secondary Education or Training, we focus on:
- Providing sustained support and culturally relevant mentorship that keeps students encouraged and connected
- Aligning cross-sector partnerships across K-12, higher education, and community organizations so that supports are coordinated and consistent
- Embedding navigation and wraparound services at academic transitions so students do not get lost in the process
- Expanding postsecondary preparation, financial aid literacy, and advising, including strengthening FAFSA support and college counseling
- Optimizing career and technical education pathways aligned to Houston’s growing industries, with clear connections to internships and apprenticeships
- Strengthening mentoring and life skills supports for first-year college and training students, so the transition year becomes a launch point, not a drop-off point
Milestone 4 is led by Kimberly Upchurch of the Social Justice Learning Institute and Dr. Liza Alonzo of the University of Houston-Downtown. Together with partners across Houston, they are helping build clearer pathways, stronger supports, and real completion outcomes for students pursuing college and workforce training.
Building sustainable futures through access, persistence, and community support.
Our Partners
Join the
Milestone 4
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Frequently Asked
Questions
Milestone 4 focuses on helping young people complete a college degree, credential, apprenticeship, or workforce training program that leads to real career opportunity. The goal is not just enrollment, but persistence and completion.
Finishing a degree or credential strengthens earning potential and opens doors to quality jobs. It also strengthens Houston’s workforce and supports long-term economic mobility for families and communities.
We align partners to provide advising, financial aid and FAFSA support, mentorship, and practical navigation help. We also strengthen life skills and wraparound supports so students can stay on track through key transition points.
This includes community college, four-year college, workforce certifications, apprenticeships, career and technical programs, and other credential programs that prepare young people for quality jobs.
Join the Milestone 4 Action Team! Partners can offer internships, apprenticeships, career exposure, mentoring, scholarships, and support services. Community organizations and campuses can also collaborate to reduce barriers, coordinate resources, and create stronger completion pathways for students.