Roads to Success

October 29th was one of those evenings that reminded everyone in the room why we do this work.

Friends, partners, board members, staff, and supporters gathered for Roads to Success' Fall Toasting, an intimate, joyful celebration of community, commitment, and a milestone year. We raised a glass to a powerful truth:

After 25 years, RTS is still opening doors, changing trajectories, and helping young New Yorkers build lives they can be proud of.

Our Board Chair, Gregorio Concha Toro, set the frame for the night with words that captured why people came and keep coming to RTS events.

"When we talk about being part of New York City, we're not just talking about living here or working here," he said. "We're talking about investing in its future. Your presence here tonight is proof that you believe in New York's next generation. You believe that every young person deserves access to opportunity, regardless of their zip code or their family's income. That belief, that commitment is what drives Roads to Success forward, and it's what will carry us into our next 25 years."

Sheila Duke's address carried that same spirit of conviction and momentum. Marking our 25th anniversary, she described a quarter-century of purpose and progress while making clear that our best response to what's been achieved is to do more, better, and with greater reach.

"For 25 years, Roads to Success has turned promise into possibility," Sheila told the room. "We've reached thousands of young people with programming that builds real skills, opens real doors, and creates real futures. But here's what keeps me up at night and gets me out of bed in the morning: we know what works. We've proven it. And now our responsibility is to scale it to bring this work to every borough, every neighborhood, every young person who needs it. The need has never been greater, and neither has our capacity to meet it."

Perhaps the most powerful moment of the night came from the stage when RTS parent Odalis Vásquez shared her family's story. Odalis spoke from the heart about the trust she placed in RTS, a trust that began when her older son attended our programs and continues now as her younger son, Ethan, thrives in an after-school class. Hearing Odalis describe how RTS has supported her kids, helped them find confidence, and made their futures feel more possible, cut through statistics and strategy. It was, in the truest sense, proof positive: the work we do reaches into homes and reshapes futures.

We celebrated our legacy 25 years of programming, curriculum development, and community partnership. We reflected on how that legacy has translated into tangible impact: in 2025 alone we served more than 8,000 young people across early childhood, after-school, and career-readiness programs. But this was not merely a look back; it was a recommitment to scale, to deepen, and to bring RTS programming to more neighborhoods. Both Sheila and Gregorio emphasized that our next chapter will be about expanding access deploying what works into every borough so more young people can access mentorship, STEAM learning, career planning, and social-emotional supports.

The evening had laughter and hugs, applause and conversation, and it had purpose. Guests connected with staff and learned how their contributions translate directly to classrooms and opportunities.

We closed the evening with a toast: to 25 years of impact, to the families who trust us, and to the road ahead.

To everyone who came, who gave, who spoke, and who shared their stories, thank you. It was a wonderful night of community and celebration, and a reminder that when a city's people choose to invest in its children, the whole city grows a little brighter.