About 400 Atlanta Public School students listened to medal-winning Olympians and Paralympians recently at Maynard Jackson High School in Atlanta. The athletes told stories of how they overcame obstacles to reach their dreams. Their appearance is part of Graduation Generation, a collaborative initiative between Emory University's Center for Community Partnerships, APS and Communities In Schools designed to improve student academic performance and increase students' chances for success in high school and beyond. Graduation Generation began in 2010 thanks to generous gifts of more than $1.5 million from Emory alumnus and trustee Rick Rieder,chief investment officer of Fundamental Fixed Income for BlackRock, Inc.