4th Annual NBCU Media Fellows Program

What a JOY it was to see our friends at NBCUniversal for the 4th annual Media Fellows Program! Over the course of 4 days, 24 of our students had the opportunity to tour the NBC Boston Media Center, work in teams on real-world case studies, network with 40+ media professionals, and present their final projects to NBCU executives!

It was a fantastic week that our students will remember long into their future careers. We are so grateful for the support from the NBCU team!

Record High College Acceptance Season for MMB

"Going to college as a recipient of the Kelly Award and a Posse Scholar takes a ton of worry away from my higher education journey. It allows me to walk through doors that otherwise might not have been opened for me. My mentors and I worked tirelessly to achieve my dream of attending college, and thanks to my hard work and the dedication of MMB mentors, my dream has come true."

We’ve been on the edge of our seats, and it’s finally time to celebrate! Our seniors have begun to hear back about their college acceptances, and we have a lot to be proud of.

Arn is among 2 Questbridge Scholars and 3 Posse Scholars in MMB’s class of 2023 - a record high in our organization’s 20-year history! He is also a recipient of the prestigious Kelly Award, a $30,000 scholarship awarded to remarkable youth from across Massachusetts. He will be enrolling at Rutgers this fall, and we can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next.

New Summer Program Partnership!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve partnered with Tufts University to provide EVERY MMB sophomore with a two-week summer program. For the first time, MMB students will have the exclusive opportunity to take Tufts college classes, live in Tufts dorms, eat in Tufts dining halls, and participate in enrichment activities hosted by Tufts! This partnership will be a great way for our students to build community and feel supported as they try out life on a college campus. Thank you, Tufts!

New England Patriots Sponsor MMB Senior

What a way to kickoff 2023! Jimena - an MMB senior and talented student athlete - was awarded the year’s first New England Patriots Charitable Foundation/Paycom scholarship. She received $5,000 that she can put directly toward college. To top it off, she was able to attend the January 1 Patriots vs. Dolphins game and receive her award on the field at Gillette Stadium!

We are so grateful to the Kraft Family and everyone at Patriots Foundsation and Paycom for supporting Jimena in her college journey!

31 Nights of Lights

Have you noticed the Prudential Center’s changing lights? Each evening in December, as part of Boston Properties’ 31 Nights of Lights, the building is lit in a different color to celebrate an esteemed nonprofit partner. Tonight, December 14th, it will be BLUE and TEAL for Minds Matter! We are honored to have been selected.

As you are out in the city tonight, keep your eye on the sky, and tag us (@mindsmatterboston) in a pic of your own!

NBC10 Features MMB

It's wonderful to see our work recognized! Cristian, '24 and his mentors Parth and Adam made an appearance on NBC10 Boston in a piece exhibiting the impact mentorship can have in a young person's journey through the college process.

We are so grateful to our partners at NBCU for spreading the word and we are proud to foster a community where our students and mentors can grow and thrive together!

Meet Our New Staff Members

It's our pleasure to announce that over the summer we brought on three new staff members to support our growing program. Please join us in extending a heartfelt welcome to Kari-Elle, Alyssa, and Meredith as they begin their journey at MMB!

Kari-Elle Brown serves as Minds Matter Boston’s Associate Director of College and Career Advising. Originally from central Florida, Kari-Elle has called Massachusetts home since moving here as a Questbridge scholar at Amherst College, where she studied Anthropology and Asian Studies. She began her career in ed tech before moving to undergraduate admissions and residential life at Harvard College. Having recently completed her master's in Higher Education, she joined MMB to help oversee college advising and develop programming for alumni who are current college students.

Alyssa Perea serves as Minds Matter Boston’s Program Coordinator. She recently joined the MMB team after completing a year of service with the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship at the Margarita Muñiz Academy. Originally from Boston, Alyssa is a Minds Matter Boston alum and graduated from the program in 2017. Her passion for working with youth and belief in educational equity inspired her to support other first-generation college students by creating college-access programming that effectively prepares them for the world of higher education. She attended Williams College, where she studied American Studies with a concentration in Latinx Studies.
·

Meredith Traquina, MSW serves as Minds Matter Boston's Director of Development. A native of the Greater Boston area, she is a proud AmeriCorps member alum and serves on the Advisory Board of Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC), a service-learning organization for young adults with disabilities. Most recently, she acted as Senior Director of Corporate & Foundations Partnerships at City Year Greater Boston. Her own formative experiences in education – both as a teacher and student - have inspired her to make those same experiences possible for all students. She studied Education at Bates College and was named Bates’ Young Alumni of the Year in 2019, having chaired the College’s largest business network. She completed her Master’s in Social Work at Boston College with a focus on community organizing, public policy, and nonprofit management.

NBCU Media Fellows Returns for the Third Year in a Row!

This summer our students had the opportunity to intern with NBCUniversal for the 3rd annual Media Fellows Program. Students toured the NBCU media center, worked on real world case studies, practiced their news anchor skills, and presented their final projects to NBCU executives!

It was a spectacular week and we are so grateful for the support from all of our friends at NBCU. It won't be long until we see our students as broadcasters on primetime!

Thank you to everyone at NBCU who made this program possible!
Chris Wayland, Maggie Baxter, Aaron Thomas, Annie Peters, Keith R. Barbaria, Marc Fortier, Charlene Bert, Catherine Cintrón, Natasha Ali, Caitriona Spratt, Morry Levine, Courtney Seymour, Dulce Gutiérrez Calvo, Maritza Merino Palacio, Jessica Silva, Jeff Grice, Mimi Wishner Segel, Nohely Portillo, Shira Stoll, Trenni Kusnierek, Jerry Sargent, Kwani A. Lunis, Alyssa Jewell, Sara Lombardi, Benjamin Aliber, Nicole Fasciano, Asher Klein, Thea DiGiammerino, Hannah Donnelly, Abigail Chin, Cecy Del Carmen

WCVB-TV Interviews MMB Triad

Last night, one of our triads made an appearance on WCVB-TV! Nga Truong, '22 and her mentors Tadelech Mengesha and Emily Wickstrom were all featured in a piece exhibiting the importance of mentoring and just how much of an impact it can make in a young person's journey through the college process. We're so proud of them for sharing their story and we are proud to foster a community where our students and mentors can grow and thrive together!