Lacking a college graduate in my family I hadn’t thought hard about my education. In my first year, at Northampton Community College, I met some of the most impactful individuals in my life. One of these individuals was Billy Staples, who introduced me to BEST, and built a lasting foundation of principles through its mentorship that will carry on for the rest of my life. Because of BEST, I am in a career and at a company I love, and the first college graduate in my family. 

 

As a BEST graduate, “pay it forward” are three words that immediately come to mind. Not only from going through its program, but now as a volunteer, seeing the nuts and bolts that make up the BEST machine has truly enabled me to experience these three words. Each and every board member defines these three words, working tirelessly to give young people a better card out of the deck and achieve their dreams!

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I want to send my sincerest thank you every contributor to BEST over its history. Because of you, the trajectory of many young people’s lives were profoundly changed. ​