How We Work

    MENTORING

    We treat our scholars as if they were our own middle-class children. Mentoring begins during the senior year of high school. Individual attention and support are provided throughout college and beyond, well past graduation, on an ongoing basis, to ensure these students’ success, as they pursue graduate studies or careers and help them acquire the “cultural capital” that students from middle-to-upper class families take for granted

    The areas of mentoring are not limited to academics. These areas include financial management, time management, physical and mental health, internship and career opportunities, managing family dynamics and expectations, and whatever may come up that impacts the ability of a scholar to move ahead with his/her life.
    Some of these students come from backgrounds of low expectations; with limited exposure to what college is and why it is important. Other students come from families that desperately want them to go to college but do not know how to help them get there. Our scholars typically deal with adversity including poverty, family stress, and discrimination. They come to us with many issues: feelings that they don’t belong in college, embarrassment about their perceived shortcomings from lack of exposure to middle class opportunities, dealing with the entitlement of more affluent peers, and lack of role models of what it takes to build a professional career.

    GUIDING PRINCIPLES

    1

    You are the hero of your life, not the victim of your adversity. You’re not defined by the things that hold you back. You’re defined by how you rise above them. ​

    2

    There is no shame and blame in the BEF. We hold scholars accountable without being judgmental

    3

    You DO belong in college (dealing with feelings that they don’t belong; embarrassment about their poverty; the entitlement of their college peers)

    4

    There is collaboration without competition or judgment.

    5

    Beware of feelings masquerading as reality

    6

    You can be angry, or you can be effective, but you cannot be both at the same time

    NETWORKING

    We encourage our scholars to think of themselves as part of a larger family, to rely on each other for advice, support, and encouragement. Twice a year, the BEF hosts a banquet and weekend retreat for all of the graduates and current undergraduates, so that scholars across the years have an opportunity to get to know each other. Scholars are able to share challenges and triumphs in a confidential, non-judgmental environment. By bonding through shared common experiences, they form their own support group and network. They function together as a team without leadership; there is no competition and no judgment. Instead, they learn that they can rely on each other for support and encouragement.

    ACTIVITIES

    The activities at the retreats are designed to expose the scholars to new environments where they are challenged to extend beyond their comfort zones, develop trust in each other, and broaden their perspectives about American history and culture. Activities include outdoor adventures, such as camping and hiking, white water rafting, zip-lining, ropes courses, and snow sports. We also participate in cultural events, including visits to museums and historic sites.
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