EMERGE
Gary Tashima has a diverse work experience in the education field. Gary started their career in 2007 as a Teacher at Brownsville Independent School District, where they worked until 2011. In 2011, they joined Teach For America as an Institute Staff--CMA for a few months before transitioning to YES Prep Public Schools, where they worked as a Teacher from 2011 to 2016. In 2017, Gary joined EMERGE as a Program Manager, and later took on the role of Director of Districts from 2019 to 2022. Currently, they are serving as the Interim Managing Director College Success at EMERGE.
From 2003 to 2007, Gary Tashima attended the University of Minnesota, where they pursued a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Biology, Society and the Environment.
EMERGE
EMERGE's mission is to develop high-achieving students from underserved communities to be the next generation of leaders by preparing them to apply, attend, and graduate from the nation's top colleges and universities. EMERGE offers a student-to-college counselor ratio of 60:1 allowing staff members to work closely with students and their families to ensure success. EMERGE is an innovator among college access organizations nationwide and partners with selective schools that yield higher than average graduation rates and provides substantial financial aid for first-generation students from low-income communities. EMERGE scholars earn college degrees at 10x the national average for students from low-income, under-resourced communities.