Last night marked a momentous occasion in the history of this state and an important step toward equity for our country. We watched as Ayanna Pressley beat the odds and surprised the naysayers, becoming the first African American woman elected to represent Massachusetts in Congress. The humility and authenticity with which she ran her campaign compelled voters to come out in record numbers and cast their ballots in support of her vision.
Understanding the needs of constituents who she has often described as being "closest to the pain," and giving a voice to many who for so long have felt unheard allowed her to overcome incredible odds to win the race. In her acceptance speech last night she said, “It seems like change is on the way. We have together ushered in something incredible. People who feel seen and heard for the first time in their lives, a stakeholder in democracy and a promise for our future. That is the real victory, that is bigger than any electoral victory. And I want to thank you all for being foot soldiers in this movement and for ushering in this change.”
It's powerful for Enroot students to know they are being represented, locally and in Washington, by elected officials who share essential aspects of their identity and lived experience. It's also incredibly inspiring for them to see a leader like Ayanna continue to challenge racial and gender barriers and prove that they can be overcome. Her courageous candidacy and underdog victory embody our country at its best and will no doubt give Enroot students renewed confidence in this country and their place in it.
I'm thankful for her courageous leadership and hopeful that continued progress is coming for our communities.
Ben Clark
Executive Director
Launching the College Success Program
A week before students headed off to college, we hosted our first night of College Success programming. Students and mentors met over ice cream to talk about students' college goals and everyone enjoyed the familiarity of the Enroot office before embarking on their college journey.
Enroot's College Success program is designed to support students in their first two years of post-secondary education through mentoring, one-to-one coaching, and support navigating the higher education system. Happy first week of classes to our College Success students!
Mass Mentoring Partnership Awards Grant
Enroot was awarded $10,000 as part of Mass Mentoring Partnership's investment of $750,000 to support quality mentoring throughout Massachusetts. This support will enable Enroot to serve 150 students in Cambridge and Somerville and provide more college access support. Read the full press release here.
Meet the new team
As we grow to serve 175 students this school year we have also grown our team. This summer we welcomed a new Program Director, two Program Managers, and three AmeriCorps members. Meet Teresa, Georgia, Paola, Tamia, Sophie, and Katie. We are thrilled to have them join our team and excited to leverage their experience in enriching our programming. Please join us in welcoming them.
Get Involved: Volunteer with Enroot
We are privileged to be doing this incredibly important work at this time in our nation's history. We are actively recruiting new volunteers for the upcoming school year. If you (or someone you know) are ready to be a part of this movement, please fill out an application today and we will contact you about attending a volunteer orientation.
Enroot is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering immigrant youth to achieve academic, career, and personal success through inspiring out-of-school experiences.
