An Enormous Heart

In June 2014, Toby Desch left his position as Upper School student life coordinator at Collegiate, his alma mater, to create a non-profit called UP RVA.
It was an enormous leap of faith for the 2006 graduate, but Desch, personable, caring, and possessed of a strong social conscience and a heart of gold, felt called to minister to underserved students, and he was undeterred.
 
“The idea came when I met a student from the East End who had the grades to succeed at Collegiate but didn’t have the transportation or after-school [resources],” he said. “She was being dropped in a world she was completely unfamiliar with. Amanda Surgner (then Collegiate’s vice-president, advancement) and I put a plan in place. We got her a computer. Amanda made some accommodations to her schedule so I could give her a ride home every day.
        
“That was when UP RVA was born. Scholarships and financial aid are incredible, but they don’t put a car in the driveway, gas in the car, and a computer at home. These students just needed a little bit more support so they could take advantage of this incredible opportunity.”
 
Teaming with Anna Julia Cooper School, UP RVA — the “UP” stands for “Unlimited Potential” — launched by placing seven ninth grade students in four local independent schools. The operating budget at the time was $100,000.
 
“The mission was to support them in three major ways,” Desch said. “We’d provide transportation to and from school, sports, dances, and sleepovers. We had an after-school program located at Anna Julia Cooper where we had computers, wi-fi, and dinner. And we’d be the advocates for our students so we would help with anything financial that wasn’t through tuition.
        
“We covered textbooks, meal plans, prom dresses, cleats. We were also the social and emotional advocates. Our goal was to build a bridge between an independent school and families that live in the East End.”
 
Since its inception, UP RVA has expanded its outreach in ways Desch and his associates could hardly have imagined. There are now 30 UP RVA students attending five Richmond-area independent schools, including Collegiate. The program has five vehicles to transport students. The operating budget is now $1.1 million.
 
Understanding that their commitment to their students doesn’t end with their high school graduation, UP RVA now funds college up to $10,000 per year for its alumni. Sixteen of its graduates are currently enrolled in 13 institutions.
 
When Desch considers the depth and breadth of UP RVA’s offerings, he knows the organization he founded and nurtured has done good and done well. He also knows that the time has come for him to step away from his position as executive director.
 
On July 1, Greg McCandless, director of youth development and education since July 1, 2021, will assume the mantle of leadership. Desch will move into the role of director of development.
 
“Greg was exactly what we needed when we began to fund students in college,” said Desch. “He had experience in higher education. He’d been a college counselor and dean of students in independent schools. He was looking for something new. As he describes it, it’s the perfect job that he never knew existed.”
 
His impact was immediate and powerful.
 
“He’s revolutionized our academic programming,” Desch said. “He’s put in an academic warning system that helps our students get up to speed if they fall behind. I’m happy to report that this school year, our students' average grade point average has risen to 3.2, the highest it's ever been in the history of UP RVA.
 
“How did this happen? For eight years, Mr. Toby stood up in front of these kids saying, ‘I love you. Work hard. Make A’s and B’s.’ Then we brought in an educator who said, ‘I love you. Work hard. Do these five things, and you have a chance to make A’s and B’s. This is his second year helping with college placement. It’s also the second year that a student has received a full ride to college.
        
“It’s truly incredible to see how far our students have come with expectations, a plan in place, and someone who understands both independent schools and the neighborhoods we serve.”
 
Amanda Surgner, who retired from Collegiate in 2016, served as both a sounding board for Desch as he formulated his plans for UP RVA and as the organization’s founding board chair.
 
“Toby was moved by kids at Collegiate who were in a much different socio-economic and demographic situation than many of the kids here,” she said. “He has an enormous heart, and it really bothered him that the playing field wasn’t even. Toby recognized that transportation was a challenge for these kids. Secondly, they need a place to do their homework that has internet, that has dinner. He grabbed onto those two pieces and said, ‘We can do this.’
 
“He’s built a successful non-profit in a short period of time not just because he’s an incredible fund raiser but because he knows his kids and he’s not scared to roll his sleeves up. His success isn’t just because he had a vision but because he’s so relationally sound, not just with fund raising but with the families he serves.”
 
While Desch will step away from the day-to-day operation of UP RVA, he’ll never be far from the gem that he’s created.
 
 “I’m proud that I’ve built something that’s able to be passed on,” he said. “I’m so excited to see where UP RVA will go.  We’re two or three years away from our first Ivy League commit, in my opinion. When a student leaves high school and goes off to an Ivy League school, it’ll knock my socks off because of how proud I am of the kid and the program.
 
“It’s a cool story. I feel like I had a good idea and was able to make the connections to make it happen. I’m so grateful for the people that have come to work for us and love the students like I set out to love the students all those years ago.”
 
Back