August 25, 2026
When Principal Sheba Mays reflects on Akira R. Toki Middle School’s Adopt-a-School partnership with Illumina, one phrase immediately comes to mind: “Toki is seen and valued.”
Over the past year, students at Toki Middle School extracted DNA from strawberries, visited Illumina’s Madison, Wisconsin office, explored new career paths, and connected with professionals in the genomics field.
The partnership brought together Toki Middle School, Illumina, Huffman Keel, and the Madison Public Schools Foundation’s Adopt-a-School program to expand learning opportunities, remove barriers, and strengthen connections across the school community.
“It’s uplifting,” Mays says. “It changes the narrative from what was.”
Meeting student needs through partnership
One reason the partnership has resonated so deeply is its responsiveness. Rather than arriving with a predetermined plan, Illumina volunteers and community partners worked with school leaders to identify where support could have the greatest impact. Regular conversations, school visits, and community events helped align efforts with Toki’s priorities.
Together, they focused on both opportunities and obstacles. Funding through the Adopt-a-School program provided transportation assistance, including bus passes that helped students access educational opportunities and activities. Additional resources helped address school-identified priorities, from supplies and furnishings to preparations for a new building currently under construction.
For Associate Principal Jorge Avalos, consistency made the difference. “We met in August 2025, and the collaboration and support were visible throughout the year,” he says.
Connecting STEM learning to future career pathways
One of the most meaningful outcomes has been helping students connect what they learn in school to opportunities beyond the classroom.
Throughout the year, Illumina employees partnered with teachers to create STEM experiences aligned with classroom learning. Rather than delivering standalone presentations, volunteers worked closely with educators before and after classroom visits to ensure activities reinforced concepts students were already learning.
Students participated in hands-on lessons including strawberry DNA extraction experiments, giving them the chance to apply scientific concepts in new ways while learning directly from people working in STEM fields.
Students in Toki’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, which supports college and career readiness, also visited Illumina’s Madison campus. Eighth graders met employees across legal, engineering, product management, and scientific teams, helping them to see the range of careers within a life science company.
During one panel discussion, a student asked an Illumina lawyer, “Can I trademark my name?”
For Steve Caldwell, an associate director of quality assurance, the question reflected something larger than curiosity. “Students began connecting classroom learning with their own interests, aspirations, and future opportunities,” he says. “The opportunity students have to make learning personal can be a gamechanger.”
Illumina Product Manager Britany Bollhorst enjoyed multiple visits to the school, building relationships with students over time. During one classroom visit, she spoke Spanish with students, reinforcing the value of bilingual skills and helping students recognize strengths they already possess.
“Find what you’re excited about,” Bollhorst says. “There are so many jobs available now and that will exist in the future.”
Sustained volunteer engagement builds trust with students and educators
In Toki’s library, volunteers worked alongside students and staff to create a more welcoming space for young readers. The project transformed the space and created opportunities for volunteers and students to work together, building deeper relationships.
For Illumina Senior Staff Scientist Susan Robey-Bond, the experience was especially meaningful. “The library underwent a huge transformation,” she says. “Seeing how excited students were about the books was meaningful.”
Throughout the year, volunteers also participated in school events celebrating various heritage and awareness months. By returning again and again, they became familiar faces within the school community. Teachers gained trusted community partners who understood their goals and challenges. Volunteers developed a deeper appreciation for the work educators do every day, and students experienced what it feels like when people continue showing up for them.
A new school year begins next month, with 485 students entering Toki’s doors. Educators, volunteers, and community partners are already planning new ways to support students in 2026 and 2027. Just a few miles away, Illumina donated a conference room to kick off a two-day offsite for Toki staffers—a physical nod to the company’s commitment to the program. Caldwell and his Illumina colleagues are looking forward to another school year and a shared investment in student success.
