BEST is the best (pun intended) thing that could have ever happened to me when I graduated high school in 2001. I had a dream to go to college but I did not know how to make this dream a reality; in stepped Billy Staples and Linny Fowler with the BEST program. It’s hard to believe that it has been over 15 years since I graduated college, and as I look back to what has transpired in my life since then, I am so grateful to BEST.

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The support and accountability structure this program provides through its mentor-student relationship is what makes it unique to any other scholarship, and is what guaranteed my success in graduating on time. Being a college graduate opened doors for me that would allow me to move to Florida, find a great job, start my family, and eventually the purchase of our first home – something I did not think was possible when I was young. 

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Thank you, BEST, for helping me fulfill the dream of being a college graduate, and launching me into the blessed life I now enjoy.

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Ben Artreche was born and raised in Bethlehem, PA. He and his sister were raised by their mother and grandmother in the Pembroke housing projects. In May 2005, he accomplished his dream of becoming a college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree from DeSales University. Ben is honored to be the first graduate of BEST in 2005. He lives happily in Winter Park, FL with his wife, Vita, and their daughter, Mila. Recently, they were blessed to purchase their first home.