Growing Together: Three Years of Project Success in Mankato
Three years ago, when Project Success first arrived in Mankato, marking its first expansion beyond the Twin Cities, the goal was simple: build relationships with students in middle school and grow alongside them over time.
This year, that vision reached an important milestone.
“I walk into the high school and they recognize us. About a quarter of the school already knows who we are.”
Marc Bromaghim-Oropeza, Senior Project Manager
As Project Success expanded into Mankato’s high schools for the first time, Marc Bromaghim-Oropeza, a senior program manager, found himself reconnecting with students he had spent years getting to know in middle school. The relationships that began there were continuing into high school, creating a foundation of trust from day one.
That continuity wasn’t an accident.
It was the result of three years spent showing up, building partnerships, and becoming part of the Mankato community.
Today, as Project Success celebrates its third year in Mankato, that approach is paying off in meaningful ways.
What began in two middle schools now reaches students across five schools, serving grades six through nine and creating opportunities through workshops, arts experiences, expeditions, and career-connected learning. At the start of the 2026-27 school year this fall, the program will expand into tenth grade.
But the biggest milestone isn’t the growth itself.
It’s the relationships that made that growth possible.
Building Trust, One Classroom at a Time
For Marc, one of the most rewarding parts of this year was seeing those relationships continue into high school.
By the time Project Success entered Mankato East and Mankato West High Schools, many students already knew the facilitators leading workshops. Relationships that began in middle school were continuing into ninth grade, creating a sense of familiarity and trust from day one.
That trust showed up in classrooms throughout the year.
One of the year’s most memorable examples came during a workshop where students created Lego trophies celebrating accomplishments from the school year. Each student identified something they were proud of, and then classmates built trophies and shared words of encouragement for one another.
The activity may have seemed simple, but the impact was powerful.
In one classroom, a student who rarely participated in group activities volunteered to share his accomplishments with classmates and help lead part of the activity. His teacher later told Project Success staff that seeing him step forward in that way was remarkable.
Across the room, students celebrated one another’s successes, recognized strengths in their peers, and reflected on how much they had grown throughout the year.
Those moments are the result of relationships built over time.
Growing Opportunities Across Mankato
While Project Success added programming in Mankato high schools, programming in the middle schools continued to deepen.
Students toured Minnesota State University, Mankato, explored college and career pathways, participated in arts residencies with the Mankato Ballet Company, and engaged in hands-on experiences with community partners throughout the region.
At the high school level, students began exploring what future pathways could look like in a more tangible way.
Through Project Success Pathways programming, students connected with professionals, colleges, and career opportunities in fields ranging from healthcare and aviation to education and the arts. For some students, these experiences offered a first look at what life after high school could become. For others, they helped transform a general interest into a concrete goal.
Together, these opportunities help students move beyond imagining their future and begin building a path toward it.
The growth of these experiences reflects another important part of the Mankato story: partnership.
Over the past three years, Project Success has developed strong relationships with organizations across the region, including Minnesota State University, Mankato, South Central College, Mankato Ballet Company, Makerspace Mankato, local theaters, healthcare partners, and the Mankato Regional Airport.
Together, these partnerships help students experience possibilities beyond the walls of a classroom.
Whether learning about aviation careers, attending a professional theater production, exploring healthcare pathways, or discovering a new artistic passion, students are exposed to experiences that help them imagine new futures for themselves.
For Akram Osman, principal of Mankato East High School, the impact for the students and the partnership at the heart of the work have been critical.
“Our students benefited greatly from Project Success workshops that were highly engaging and age-appropriate. They also had opportunities to explore careers, attend field trips, and experience the arts in ways that might not otherwise have been possible. We are extremely grateful for the partnership and look forward to another successful year with our ninth- and tenth-grade scholars.”
A Community Effort
That sense of community was on full display during Winter Adventure Day.
Nearly 200 students and family members gathered at Flandrau State Park. Families spent the day ice fishing, sledding, skating, building forts, and exploring the outdoors together.
But what made the event memorable wasn’t just exploring new activities.
It was the feeling of community.
Students recognized one another. Families connected with school staff and Project Success team members. Local volunteers and community partners helped create an experience that felt uniquely Mankato.
Winter Adventure Day reflected something Project Success has learned over the past three years: the strongest opportunities are built alongside the community, not simply brought into it.
That same spirit can be seen throughout Mankato programming today—in classrooms, on college campuses, at arts performances, and during community events where students and families gather together.
Looking Ahead
As Project Success prepares to expand into tenth grade next year, the future is full of possibility.
What started as the organization’s first expansion beyond the Twin Cities has become a thriving partnership built on trust, relationships, and a shared commitment to young people.
Students who first met Project Success in middle school are now entering high school. Community partnerships continue to grow. New opportunities are opening every year.
Matt Dreier, Senior Director of People & Strategic Operations, helped guide Project Success’s strategic expansion into Mankato three years ago. Today, he sees the success of that decision not only in the opportunities created for students, but in the community that has grown around the work.
“When we first came to Mankato, we hoped to create meaningful opportunities for students,” said Dreier. “Three years later, what I’m most proud of is the community that has grown around that work. Schools, families, students, and community partners have embraced Project Success in a way that has made these opportunities possible, and we’re excited to keep growing together.”
