Coach had a surprise for the most recent group of 150 students in its Dream It Real program.

This system, which launched in 2018 and is an element of the Coach Foundation, strives to create opportunities, remove barriers and support the following generation of young people in underrepresented communities to realize their dreams.

As a part of its annual Dream Day on Monday, where the students visited the Coach headquarters at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, they were greeted by a special guest: Lil Nas X, the brand’s ambassador and collaborator.

The entertainer surprised several of the scholars with a session together with his stylist Matthew Mazur where they collaborated to create career-inspired looks from Coach pieces within the Dream It Real Closets. He also worked with them within the “Dream It Real Portrait Studio,” coaching students as they took headshots for his or her résumés.

“All the time stand beside yourself,” Lil Nas X told the scholars. “You will be the foremost person you possibly can count on if you’re chasing your dream. The foremost person who you have got to consider in. All the time move forward and stand on your personal path.” 

Along with Coach Foundation’s partner organizations — Opportunity Network, Bottom Line, Point Foundation, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Hetrick-Martin Institute — the scholars also received a full day of mentorship, networking and skilled development advice.

Other activities included the “Dream It Real ‘Real Talks’” where executives discussed their profession journeys and topics resembling branding and digital marketing.

The day ended with a celebration for the scholars where they were in a position to meet and mingle with their Dream It Real mentors, Coach employees who’ve offered support and guidance to them over the past academic 12 months.

Stuart Vevers, Coach’s creative director, said, “Dream Day is a special moment for Coach since it’s once we bring together young people from our programs to rejoice all they’re doing to make their dreams real. This 12 months, we were especially excited that Lil Nas X could join us to make this present day much more memorable for our students. He’s someone who fully embodies the spirit of finding confidence in who you might be that’s so fundamental to every part we do at Coach, and thru our foundation.”

Todd Kahn, chief executive officer and president of the brand, added, “Dream Day champions Coach’s Dream It Real initiative and is a tremendous opportunity for young people to attach for a day stuffed with mentorship, skilled development and inventive workshops. The Coach Foundation committed to granting 5,000 students with scholarships through nonprofit partners by 2025. I’m proud to announce that we met our goal two years early, helping break cycles of inequality by empowering young people to succeed in their full potential through higher education.”  

Since its launch, Dream It Real has provided support and resources to greater than 150,000 young people.