Gary Alumni Pathway to Students

10/08/2026

💼✨ Inspire. Connect. Make an Impact.

Every career journey has a story worth sharing!

GAPS, alongside our community partners, is excited to bring together professionals and students for an opportunity to explore career pathways, share experiences, and inspire future success.

We invite you to be part of this meaningful experience as we continue connecting students with opportunities beyond the classroom!

🔗 Register today: https://app.gapsgary.org/sp/0b66b14090f

Together, we can help shape brighter futures!🎓

10/08/2026

🚨 **𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗦 & 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦!** 🚨

GAPS, in partnership with Gary Community School Corporation and Junior Achievement, is seeking professionals and volunteers for **𝗪𝗦𝗟𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!** 🎓💼

This is your opportunity to share your career journey, inspire students, and help shape the next generation of leaders!

📅 **𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲**
⏰ **𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 – 𝟭𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠**
📍 **𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆 | 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗜𝗡**

Whether you're interested in sharing your professional experiences, leading an interactive activity, or volunteering, we'd love to have you join us!

🔗 **𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆:** https://app.gapsgary.org/widget/form/jNEh1Z6jgxOZkGJPgsyW

📩 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁:

Tieanna Walker (GAPS): [email protected]
Karen Williams (JA): [email protected]

10/02/2026

🎓 Your Future Starts Here!

Need help completing the FAFSA? Students and families are invited to FAFSA Day at the Gary Area Career Center for FREE assistance, step-by-step guidance, and answers to their questions.

📅 October 8, 2026 & January 14, 2027

Take the next step toward your college goals! See the flyer for times, location, and what to bring.

Please share and help us connect more families with this opportunity!

09/30/2026

Yippie!

09/18/2026

Career Speakers Needed! 🎓💼

Help us inspire the next generation during College GO Week! We’re looking for professionals to share their career journey with GCSC students.

📅 Sept. 23 – Banneker at Marquette
📅 Sept. 25 – Bethune Early Learning

No formal presentation needed—just come share what you do and help students see what’s possible.

Scan the QR code to sign up and please share!

09/17/2026

GAPS IS HEADED TO ROUND 2!

We are excited to announce that Gary Alumni Pathway to Students has advanced to Round 2 of the Crown Point Community Foundation’s ONE MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE!

This experience is pushing us to think bigger about collaboration, partnerships, and what becomes possible when organizations work across geographic and organizational boundaries toward a shared goal.

For GAPS, that means continuing to develop BankTown NWI: Pathways to Success — Learn. Earn. Grow. Thrive. and exploring new ways to connect education, careers, financial capability, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and economic mobility.

We are proud to represent Gary in this process and even more excited about the relationships being built across Northwest Indiana.

Thank you to the Crown Point Community Foundation https://www.facebook.com/CrownPointCommunityFoundation for challenging all of us to imagine what we can accomplish together.

The One Million Dollar Challenge is made possible through funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of the GIFT IX initiative.

The work continues — Round 2!



Gary Community School Corporation

09/02/2026

We need your feedback!

GAPS is developing BankTown NWI: Pathways to Success – Learn. Earn. Grow. Thrive., an interactive, game-based experience designed to help youth and adults build real-world skills in money management, career readiness, entrepreneurship, leadership, and economic mobility.

But before we build it, we want to hear from YOU.

What does our community need? What would make BankTown useful, engaging, and something people would actually want to participate in? And what are we missing?

The survey only takes a few minutes, and your feedback will help us shape the program as we move forward.

Take the BankTown NWI Community Feedback Survey:
Complete the survey here : https://app.gapsgary.org/widget/form/oZGRsP1zzrWaeQyUIa3C

Please complete it and share it with others. We want to hear from students, parents, educators, employers, community organizations, financial institutions, and community members throughout Northwest Indiana.

We don't want to build BankTown for the community without building it with the community.

BankTown NWI: Pathways to Success
Learn. Earn. Grow. Thrive.

GAPS (Gary Alumni Pathway to Students) is developing BankTown NWI: Pathways to Success – Learn. Earn. Grow. Thrive.BankTown NWI is envisioned as an interactive, game-based experience that helps youth and adults build real-world skills in money management, career readiness, entrepreneurship, leader...

07/29/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Rodney “DJ Darknite” Lewis for an extraordinary weekend of support for Gary Alumni Pathway to Students.

Rodney gave two days of his time, talent, energy, and platform to support GAPS. On Saturday, he partnered with GAPS for the Orange & Blue Party, bringing people together for an evening of music, community, and purpose. On Sunday, he continued that commitment at the Buzz Box, where all proceeds also supported GAPS programming.

This was more than participation in two events. It was a powerful example of what it means to show up for Gary, invest in our young people, and use your gifts to help create opportunities for others.

Rodney, thank you for your generosity, your partnership, and your commitment to the students and families GAPS serves. Your support and example are deeply appreciated.

Gary Alumni Pathway to Students

Join the Village.

Pictured: Rodney “DJ Darknite” Lewis with two GAPS staff members, Roosevelt alumna and volunteer Jackie McClee Walton, and community volunteer Rasheida Bennett.

07/28/2026

This logo tells a story.

Many people have asked why the GAPS logo includes all of Gary's high schools.

The answer is simple.

That was always the vision.

Gary Alumni Pathway to Students (GAPS) was never intended to represent just one school, one graduating class, or one alumni organization. It was created because we believed the collective experiences, relationships, talents, and influence of ALL Gary alumni could become a bridge to the students coming behind us.

Whether you graduated from West Side, Roosevelt, Lew Wallace, Emerson, Horace Mann, Tolleston, Edison, Froebel, or any other Gary school...

You belong in this story.

Our students don't need us to agree on everything.

They need us to agree on one thing:

Their future matters.

Every alumnus has something to offer. Your career. Your network. Your life experiences. Your mentorship. Your resources. Your encouragement.

Imagine what could happen if alumni from every Gary school came together around one shared purpose—not to relive our glory days, but to help create theirs.

That is why GAPS was formed.

Not to replace existing alumni organizations.
Not to compete with reunions or traditions.

But to unite Gary alumni as one collective force dedicated to opening doors for the next generation.

The logo isn't just a collection of school mascots.

It's a symbol of what is possible when we stop thinking about "my school" and start thinking about "our students."

If you've ever wondered where you fit in, the answer is simple...

Right here.

We are always looking for alumni from every Gary high school to join us in building bridges to college, careers, military service, entrepreneurship, and the skilled trades.

Our legacy won't be measured by the reunions we attended.

It will be measured by the lives we helped change.

One City.
Many Schools.
One Purpose.

Let's build the bridge together.


Gary Alumni Pathway to Students Gary West Side High School Alumni Association, Inc. Gary Community School Corporation

07/27/2026

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

This isn't just another annual report.

It's proof of what's possible when a community comes together on behalf of its young people.

During the 2025–2026 school year, GAPS:
✔ Served 2,384 students
✔ Delivered 73 programs and events
✔ Provided 6,936 direct student service encounters
✔ Created more than 26,500 college and career readiness touchpoints
✔ Engaged 174 strategic partners
✔ Generated over 164,000 community engagement touchpoints

Behind every number is a student who explored a career, completed FAFSA, met a mentor, visited a college, discovered a skilled trade, or began believing their future was bigger than their circumstances.

But here's the reality...

Impact doesn't pay the bills.

As we prepare for another school year, GAPS urgently needs operating support to continue this work. Programs like these only exist because individuals, businesses, foundations, alumni, and community partners choose to invest in our students.

If you've ever asked how you can help, the answer is now.

Here's how you can make a difference:
• Make a tax-deductible donation.
• Become a corporate or program sponsor.
• Connect us to a potential funder.
• Volunteer your time or expertise.
• Share this post with someone who believes in investing in young people.

The future workforce of Northwest Indiana is sitting in our classrooms today. Together, we can ensure every student has the opportunity to graduate with a plan, a pathway, and hope.

Donate today: https://gapsgary.org/donate

Together, we build a stronger Northwest Indiana.