Today's students--as exemplified by the three inspiring people on this report--are a remarkably diverse group with unlimited potential. America is home to tens of millions of these 21st century students, and their success is vital to the nation's future. For the United States to thrive in the rapidly changing global economy, the full potential of these 21st century students must be realized. And that means the American system of higher education must increase its productivity. It must become a flexible and efficient engine for creating the most important resource it will ever produce: human capital. The individuals at Lumina Foundation have committed themselves to that end by establishing a specific, ambitious national goal. Their Big Goal is this: By 2025, they want 60 percent of Americans to hold high-quality postsecondary degrees or credentials. This 2009 report tracks Lumina's early progress in the effort to reach that goal. Their work is focused in three critical areas: helping prospective students be fully prepared for college, ensuring that more of those who enroll actually succeed and reach their goals, and helping colleges and universities be more productive so they serve more students. This report introduces a few of the people who inspire that work and truly make it matter.