Why I BUILD | Mandy Boose

Meet Mandy Boose, 

BUILD Bay Area College Access Program Manager

What inspires you to work at BUILD?

I’m inspired every day by our students, by knowing that each graduating BUILD class is continuing to foster a more equitable, creative, and impassioned society for future generations.

Have you ever simultaneously co-edited an essay on a Google Doc with a fellow writer, feverishly scrambling to make all the final changes leading up to the deadline?

Scholarship season has entered the chat. A student and I were sharing comments, deleting sentences, and adding quotes to an amazing application, but the stress of the rush gave me high blood pressure all night. The experience itself was funny enough to make it memorable, it was even better when they won the scholarship.

How would BUILD have helped you as a student?

BUILD’s entrepreneurship program helps students develop and strengthen their voice — from the first steps of creating their own businesses, students are challenged to think outside the box. The program’s learning community of educators and volunteers carry a tremendous lift in heightening students’ critical thinking and innovation. I would have benefited from having a similar cohort of caring, insightful mentors to help foster my own personal growth, professional exploration, and academic curiosity.

What do you hope for our students to learn from their BUILD experience?

How to step out into the world as a confident and independent young adult, one who can enter any room feeling proud of their ideas, opinions, identities, and histories.