Get Future Ready, San Diego
Your college is part of San Diego. Your future can be, too.
Future Ready SD helps first-generation college students launch careers in the community they love. We connect them with each other, with people doing interesting work, and with real challenges shaping the place they call home.
Because we want more San Diego students to see a future for themselves right here.
Cohort 1 launches January 2027. Applications close December 4.
Apply early, acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis.
Choose your path
Let's make something awesome together.
I'm a first-gen student
Five days to find what drives you, meet people who can help, and do real work for a San Diego organization.
I grow early-career talent
Partner as a talent accelerator and bring a real business challenge to see San Diego's next generation of talent at work before you hire.
I want to pledge time to SD talent
Commit 1% of your work hours through The First 42, or sponsor a cohort as we grow in 2027.
$36,200 a year.
That's the income gap between first-gen graduates and peers whose parents went to college.
It isn't about talent. It comes down to stories, networks, and real experience, which many of us picked up by accident.
Future Ready SD makes them happen on purpose, so more San Diego students can build a future right here. Read our story →
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First-generation business students at four-year schools across San Diego, whether you’re figuring out what to study, getting ready for internships, or looking for real experience. See the program →
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A $25 deposit holds your spot, and you get it back when you finish. We’re designing this so cost isn’t what stands between a student and being here.
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January 2027 in San Diego, with 15–20 students. Applications close December 4 and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early.
When we finished I feel a lot of achievement (I can do something actually). There are times that I've wanted to pursue an idea, but sometimes life or other priorities get in the way. This built the confidence of if I want I can go out there and do it.
Five days. One real challenge.
A different way to think about what's next.
Day 1: Discover what drives you. Your experiences, your story, your interests and gifts.
Day 2: Find people who can help. How to reach out, build relationships, and keep them going.
Days 3–5: Make something for a San Diego organization. Your team uses design to take on a real local challenge.
You leave with new local connections, real work you can talk about in any interview, and a better sense of how to keep moving when you're not sure what's next. See the full program →
Stay in the loop
Future cohorts, events, and ways to get involved.
Be the first to hear about new cohorts, campus workshops, and opportunities to support first-gen students across San Diego.
And know that keeping this within reach for every student, regardless of financial background, is part of how we're building it.
Designed by someone who gets you
I'm a first-generation college grad myself, so I know what it's like to figure out “career stuff” without a map. That's a big part of why I created Future Ready SD: to help more students get better at finding their own way forward.
After creating career growth programs at Intuit here in San Diego and traveling the country to help career centers and business schools set students up for success, I knew it was time to invest in my community and help local students better prepare for their future.
In their words
What students say after working with us.
From workshops, coaching, and real projects. Every one of these started with a student taking a first step.
Brian did a fantastic job really getting to know me and my goals before trying to give me any advice. At first, I assumed coaching sessions would be the generic career advice I've been hearing my whole student life, but it wasn't that at all. I feel like Brian really understood my goals, thus giving me specific advice to reach those specific goals.
One of the best I've attended this semester! I loved how interactive it was. One piece that really stuck with me was that you may not start where you want to and keep an open mind.
I really liked your first part about finding your intersection… I spent a good time thinking about my own talents, interests, who I would like to work with.