Monday, October 1st was an exciting day for BUILD, starting out with our new mentor training at Northeastern University and ending with a recruitment event at Darryl’s Corner Bar, just down the street from NU. BUILD Boston’s Site Director Ryan Oliver kicked off a fantastic training session which introduced some of BUILD’s newest E1 mentors with students from Northeastern University’s Entrepreneurs Club. Diana Ravensbergen, Director of the club’s subset NUBUILD and a third-year student at Northeastern University, spoke of her excitement for the collaboration. After her first year in the NU Entrepreneurs Club, Diana wanted to get more involved and the opportunity to become NUBUILD’s director was brought to her by a fellow e-club member. After addressing the group, NU students and mentors mingled, sharing experiences and thoughts on best practices when it comes to mentoring high schoolers.
Doug Ferriman, owner of the Boston-based restaurant Crazy Dough’s Pizza, even made a short appearance to the training when he delivered a donated meal. Shortly after eating, a special presentation from professional business consultant Claudyne Wilder captivated the attendees. Claudyne shared her personal experiences working with students, giving advice on tactics for keeping young students engaged. Her speech was animated by her enthusiastic character, her engaging stories keeping the mood light and entertaining.
Meanwhile, Darryl’s Corner Bar and Kitchen was filled with members of Boston’s entrepreneurial community. Guests joined BUILD for a free event to learn more about our mentoring program and to enjoy guest speakers as well as hors-d’oeuvres and music. Scott Friend, Managing Director for Bain Capital Ventures, as well as Liz Miranda, Coordinator of the Community Center for Entrepreneurship at Bunker Hill Community College, both addressed the crowd during the evening. An energy-filled speech from Tito Jackson, Boston City Councillor, grabbed the attention of everyone in the establishment, reminding people of BUILD’s magic. He was able to exhilarate everyone in the room with stories about his experiences in working with Boston’s youth. A particularly memorable interaction with a young boy was enough to remind him of the importance of education. The young boy took a good look at the councillor and told him that he looked like the president. “The amazing thing is that if he can look at me and see the president, then he can look at himself and see the president.” The audience loved this anecdote, applauding enthusiastically. Following Tito’s speech was a raffle of prizes such as T-shirts and complimentary dinner passes to Darryl’s, offered up by Darryl Settles himself. By the end of the night, BUILD Boston’s Regional Executive Director Ayele Shakur was able to leave with a large stack of new mentor applications in her hand.
The successful event was one of many held by BUILD in order to create a strong group of mentors for the program’s E1 freshmen. The next event will be held at the Microsoft Store in the Prudential Center on Thursday, October 4 from 6-8 PM, and is free of charge for all who are interested in becoming a mentor with BUILD.
