Power Station

We value higher education but make it hard to access, particularly for low-income and people of color. Students may not have counselors to guide their search for colleges and scholarships. The cost of applications can be prohibitive. It takes a dedicated network of motivated adults to connect young people to opportunities and Sean Lanier is one of those dedicated people. Although he has retired from the military, he continues to serve his country. When his alma mater, Virginia Military Institute, reached out and asked him to help recruit African American students to the school, he embraced the challenge. But he discovered that his vision for how to create a pipeline of underserved students was broader. He now helps not only VMI but also other schools to recruit talented young people and founded a nonprofit to advance this mission. He travels to cities across the country, meets with students, their parents and community-based partners to demonstrate what is possible, from education in STEM and technology, as w