Dreamers Success Mentorship Luncheon Aims to Recruit 50 Mentors from Local Businesses
BRUNSWICK, GA — June 8, 2026 — On the afternoon of Thursday, June 4, 2026, community and business leaders filled the Chamber of Commerce Conference Room in Brunswick for the inaugural Dreamers Success Mentorship Program Luncheon, a collaborative event presented by Roberts Civil Engineering, Communities in Schools of Glynn County (CIS Glynn), and the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF). The gathering carried a single, clear charge: recruit 50 mentors from 10 local businesses and organizations.
The luncheon was co-hosted by Johnathan Roberts, Founder, President & CEO of Roberts Civil Engineering; Lynn Love, outgoing Executive Director, CIS Glynn County; and Keeva Kase, President & CEO, CCGF. Also present were Scott Steilen, President & CEO of Sea Island Company; Earlene Dickson, incoming Executive Director of CIS Glynn; and Greg Demery, Site Coordinator at Glynn Academy CIS.
Kase, a Glynn Academy Class of 1996 alumna, met De'Von Rogers — now a rising junior at Glynn Academy — three years ago at the annual CIS Dreamers event hosted by Roberts Civil Engineering at Sea Island. That introduction became a mentorship. On Thursday, the two stood before a room full of executives and made the case together for why those relationships matter.
"I am who I am today, in large part, because people in this community chose to invest in me," Kase told the assembled business leaders. "When the opportunity came to give that back through Communities In Schools, I didn't hesitate."
De'Von was equally direct: "A lot of kids follow the path of the world they know. But some of us have dreams that look different — and we don't always have someone in front of us who has already walked that road. That's what a mentor can be."
The two delivered a co-presentation drawing on three years of relationship — addressing the long arc of mentorship, the mutual commitment it requires, and the ripple effects that last long after the formal program ends.
"The most powerful impact you make in a young person's life often surfaces years — sometimes decades — later," Kase said. "That young person will be better because of what you did, in ways that ripple out into the world far beyond this room."
The Dreamers Success Mentorship Program, a joint initiative of Roberts Civil Engineering and CIS Glynn, connects local students with industry professionals for ongoing guidance, goal-setting, and career exploration. Through the program, participants build confidence, develop real-world skills, and gain access to networks they would not otherwise have.
Thursday's luncheon was designed specifically to mobilize the employer community — not just to encourage volunteerism in the abstract, but to ask business owners and executives to take an active step: authorize their employees to serve as mentors during regular work hours, most typically during school lunchtime.
"Your workforce has the power to help shape the next generation of leaders right here in our coastal home," Kase told attendees. "The doctors, the lawyers, the engineers, the entrepreneurs — they're sitting in classrooms at Glynn Academy, Brunswick High, and McIntosh Academy right now, waiting for someone to invest in them."
The program's goal is 50 mentorships secured from at least 10 businesses and organizations across the region.
The luncheon also marked a meaningful moment of transition for CIS Glynn. Lynn Love, who has led the organization with distinction for 15 years, will retire in December 2026. Earlene Dickson, who has been with CIS Glynn for a decade, has been named incoming Executive Director and will carry the organization's work forward.
Scott Steilen of Sea Island Company, whose venue has served as the signature setting for the annual Dreamers student event, joined the gathering, saying “It is incumbent upon the business community to help build up future leaders and it is programs like Communities in Schools that provide the infrastructure necessary for our workforces to be forces for good through structured mentorship.”
To learn more about the Dreamers Success Mentorship Program or to commit your organization as a participating business, contact:
Communities in Schools of Glynn County cisofglynn.org
Roberts Civil Engineering robertscivilengineering.com
Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation coastalgeorgiafoundation.org
About Roberts Civil Engineering Roberts Civil Engineering is a Brunswick-based civil engineering firm committed to community investment and youth development across the Golden Isles. robertscivilengineering.com
About Communities in Schools of Glynn County CIS Glynn is part of the nation's largest dropout-prevention network, surrounding students with the community of support they need to stay in school and achieve in life. cisofglynn.org
About the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation The Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) is a tax-exempt public foundation established in 2005 by and for the people of Camden, Glynn, and McIntosh counties. With a mission to strengthen communities through engaged philanthropists, CCGF connects people who care with causes that matter across Georgia’s coast. coastalgeorgiafoundation.org
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