Congratulations Class of 2022!

This past Saturday, we came together to honor the Class of 2022 at our first in person Commencement since 2019. The ceremony was complete with celebratory remarks and inspirational speeches from Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia and MMB Senior and future Bryn Mawr freshman, Angie Quiroz! You can watch the full ceremony here.

Boston Class of 2022! We are proud to announce that 100% of the graduating class was admitted to a 4 year-college and they received over 1.4 million dollars in first-year financial aid! 

A special thanks also to our partners Massachusetts Institute of Technology, EY, Hamilton Company and Deloitte!

Our students know the impact a mentor can have on their journey to college. That's why so many alumni return to MMB to become mentors and pay it forward. YOU could be the person that makes a difference in our students' lives! Mentor applications for
Last week, our students had the opportunity to intern at @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 p
We still need your help! By Friday, September 2nd MMB needs to find over 150 new mentors to support our incredible students on their journey to college! 📣 Current and Former Volunteers: Share this post and your #WhyIMentor story with your networks
Mentor applications for the 22-23 program year are OPEN through September 2nd. We need 200 new mentors to join us this fall, and we hope we can count YOU in! Apply by August 5th to meet our upcoming priority deadline. Click the link in our bio to le

Over the weekend, our Executive Director, Rachel Kanter, caught up with two former Minds Matter Boston mentees. Alyssa (MMB '17) recently graduated from Williams College and is working at Margarita Muñiz Academy and Nate (MMB '17) recently graduated from Dartmouth College and is now a Consultant at Hoffman Alvary & Co.

We are so proud of their accomplishments and they will always be part of the MMB family!

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Welcome to the team, Kristal!

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We are thrilled to welcome Kristal Castro as our new Program Coordinator! Originally from Buffalo, NY, Kristal moved to Boston to earn her bachelor's degree in communications and her master's degree in educational policy studies at Boston University. At MMB, she will work closely with our Director of Programs and Program Manager to oversee programming and support student and volunteer recruitment efforts.

Please join us in welcoming Kristal to the MMB family!

NBCUniversal Media Fellows - Summer 2021

This summer, our students had the opportunity to intern with NBCUniversal as part of our Media Fellows Program. Students toured the NBCU media center, worked on case studies about Peacock steaming services and the Olympics, 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!

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2020-2021 Year In Review

Dear Friends of Minds Matter Boston, 

It has been a year like no other in higher education. The pandemic has exacerbated chronic inequities in postsecondary opportunity for low-income and first-generation students: in high-poverty high schools the number of graduates enrolling in college fell 11.4%, FAFSA applications dropped 18%, and early decision applications for first-generation students dropped 10%. More than ever, vulnerable students are losing access to one of our country’s only viable pathways out of poverty.

Our mission to connect driven and determined low-income students with the people, preparation, and possibilities to access and succeed in college has never been more critical. And, the achievements of our students are all the more exceptional in this moment:

  • 100% of our seniors were accepted into a four-year college;

  • 83% of seniors committed to a "selective" school as defined by Barron’s Top Three Tiers including, Columbia University, New York University, Northeastern University, UMass Amherst & Tufts University;

  • 92% of seniors’ financial need was met through first-year financial aid and earned scholarships;

  • 97% of program alumni are still enrolled or have already graduated from college.

You can read more about these achievements in our 2021 Impact Report.

Our goals for growth and impact have also taken on a new urgency, and I’m proud to say that we are entering the new program year stronger than ever: 

  • We successfully grew our enrollment by 20% to serve 149 students;

  • We added four new Board members;

  • We hired an incredible team member: Samantha Carter, our first Development Coordinator who also serves as a volunteer mentor;

  • We raised $900k with an eye towards sustainable, recurring revenue;

    • Received a $300k Catalyst Grant from Wellington Management Foundation to launch our three-year strategic growth plan to expand enrollment by 75%;

    • Received a $350k, a ten-year gift from the Cummings Foundation which ensures the stability of MMB for future generations.

In the coming year, we will grow enrollment again by 25% and add another full-time staff member to our team.  The progress we’ve made, and the enthusiastic support for our continued growth, reaffirms our decision to launch an ambitious, strategic expansion in 2020.

As the world continues opening, I am excited and hopeful for what the future holds. I look forward to sharing that future with you as we pursue our goal of unleashing the power and potential of our students.  

Thank you,


Rachel Kanter

Executive Director

 
 

We are honored to have the Cummings Foundation's support in encouraging the education and empowerment of the next generation of Boston's leaders. We hope you will support us too!

Join our team!

We are searching for a Program Coordinator to join our community! Help us continue our work to ensure students throughout the Greater Boston area have access to all of the resources and support they need to succeed in college and beyond! Click the button below to learn more about the position and how to apply.

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Student Applications for the 2021-22 program year are now OPEN!

We are now accepting student applications for the 2021-22 program year. The application deadline is Monday, April 12th. Please check out our Students page for more information about eligibility criteria and the application process!