Our story
Atlas Scholars was founded to plug some of the gaps in the public education system — particularly around a lack of real-world experience and exposure and the disparity in experiences for students even within the same school district.
In late 2012, Craig Taylor and Tejpal Singh created a revolutionary development program aimed at driving students’ personal and professional growth from every angle over the course of several years in high school and beyond.
The idea was ambitious: three summer internships, year-round hands-on mentorship from program leadership and other industry leaders, comprehensive college preparation and scholarships, and the engagement of executives and leaders to help create experiential learning opportunities not available through public school.
Atlas Scholars accepted its first class of students in 2013, and our impact has scaled ever since. Each year, ~10 students from a range of diverse backgrounds across Houston are selected to join a lifelong network of support and growth.
Atlas Scholars creates an environment in which students’ motivation, drive, and desire to invest in themselves — as well as their resulting performance in the program — is the determinant of their success.
“I come from a humble background . . . neither of my parents finished university. When I was on the trading floor and saw these programs for the children of traders . . . I thought it would have been really great if I had had that kind of experience growing up.”
The program’s recent accomplishments include:
>$750k in college scholarships awarded since inception
~$390k raised at our third annual Sunday for Scholars fundraiser
Rapidly-growing network, with 80+ alumni at top universities and companies in the nation
Quickly-expanding institutional partnerships, creating greater experiential opportunities for our students