Bryce Harris
Outstanding Young Adult Philanthropist Award, The Soul of Philanthropy Akron
Bryce Harris is an Akron-born educator and youth advocate whose leadership reflects both vision and heart. After excelling as a four-year captain and standout offensive lineman at the University of Toledo, he chose to return to his hometown with a clear mission: to create pathways of opportunity, mentorship and growth for young people across Northeast Ohio.
Today, Bryce serves as Associate Principal and Dean of Student Life at Archbishop Hoban High School, where he continues his commitment to youth leadership, student development and community engagement. Earlier in his career, as a school counselor, he became widely recognized for launching the Breakfast Club — a creative approach to reducing chronic absenteeism. By inviting students to start their mornings with video games, mentoring, and even making chocolate-chip waffles together, Bryce helped reframe school as a place of community and joy. The program produced dramatic results, cutting chronic tardiness by nearly 40% and earning support from the GAR Foundation.
In 2022, Bryce co-founded the Always Climbing Project, a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring, leadership training, and college and career preparation for youth. Through the organization's Future Climbers Program, more than 300 students have received hands-on guidance to build confidence, explore career pathways and prepare for life after graduation.
His reach extends beyond his own organizations. Bryce works closely with 100 Black Men of Akron and contributes to community visioning through the GAR Foundation's Community Voice Committee, while also engaging nationally as a virtual mentor with the BOSS Program in Long Beach, California. In addition, he has helped shape the future of the counseling profession as a former emerging leader member of the Ohio School Counselor Association Board.
Even outside his administrative and nonprofit work, Bryce invests in students as a football coach at Firestone CLC, the high school he once called home.
Grounded in humility but driven by ambition, Bryce Harris is committed to helping young people see themselves as climbers — capable of reaching higher, overcoming obstacles and building stronger communities along the way.