8th Annual MLK College, Career, & Health Fair (2024)
On Saturday, January 13th, The BASE hosted it’s 8th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. College, Career, and Health Fair at the Melnea Cass Recreation Complex in Roxbury. The fair brought together more than 40 colleges and 20 businesses to share information, resources, and applications with young people and local residents.
Approximately 250 BASE youth and family members attended the event, along with several special guests, including: Dr. Greg Weiner, President, Assumption University; Melissa Lavinson, Head of Corporate Affairs, New England, National Grid; and Doug Mizzi, Senior Executive Vice President, Group President, TJX Companies. Local elected leaders in attendance included MA State Representative for the 9th Suffolk District, John Moran; Boston City Council President, Ruthzee Louijeune; and At-large Boston City Councilor, Julia Mejia.
Hosted annually by The BASE, the College, Career, & Health Fair is an extension of our programs designed to create opportunity for youth and young adults. Known for their successful sports programs and talented student-athletes, The BASE also provides college advising, internships, career workshops, health & wellness education, and STEM programs. The annual fair on the Saturday before Martin Luther King Day is designed to honor the civil rights icon and his message of social justice and equal opportunity for Black and Brown people and communities.
6th Annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast
We had a wonderful time on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, at our 6th annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast! The event highlighted the power of women and girls in leadership, and was centered around a diverse group of female business and civic leaders:
- Alex Auguste, Deputy Director, Boston Women’s Fund
- Sheena Collier, Founder & CEO, Boston While Black, The Collier Connection
- Ilana Finley, VP, Global Communications and Social & Community Impact, Converse Inc.
- Eneida Roman, Co-founder & CEO, Amplify Latinx
- Dr. Jacqui Shuman, Vice Chancellor for Athletics & Recreation, UMass Boston
The panelists were joined by Dr. Julie Chen, Chancellor of UMass Lowell, who welcomed guests with opening remarks; Yolanda Coentro, President & CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (and BASE Board Member), who served as moderator; and Chrystal Kornegay, Executive Director of MassHousing, who chaired the event.
As we position our own young ladies as the leaders of tomorrow, each panelist was paired with and interviewed by a BASE student-athlete. Our girls were so composed and impressive, they stole the show!
Thank You to everyone who attended and supported the breakfast, in particular, our sponsors – Insperity, The Candace L. & Barry R. Sloane Foundation, Christine Freeman, Kate Guedj, Alyce Lee, and a special thanks to Chrystal Kornegay and MassHousing, who announced a grant to support our girls programs. We are proud of our work to elevate girls and young women, and we are proud to partner with all of you for this special event experience.
7th Annual MLK College, Career, & Health Fair (2023)
The BASE was proud to be part of a historic weekend for the city of Boston, with our MLK College, Career, & Health Fair being part of the Embrace Boston festivities. Embrace Boston co-chair, Rev. Jeffrey Brown shared a powerful message grounded in faith and resilience, inspiring our young people to always believe in themselves.
This annual BASE event embodies the spirit of Dr. King and the enduring fight for equal rights. Each of us has the right to pursue our dreams, through education, training, and employment, while caring for our own health and wellness – regardless of birthplace, zip code, race, gender, or any other factor. And each of us has a role to play in expanding opportunity, particularly for Black and Brown youth and families. These are the values that drive our work at The BASE, and we extend our gratitude to all our families, supporters, and partners who believe in The BASE and travel this path with us.
MA Secretary of Education & Special Guests Visit for STEM Week
On October 18th, 2022, MA Secretary of Education, James Peyser, visited The BASE in celebration of MA STEM Week and brought along special guests Malik & Miles George. The twin brothers are MIT graduates, and now PhD candidates, who have gained fame for their social media campaign to broaden the appeal of STEM education. Students in the BASE Robotics program showed off their coding skills, and Malik & Miles told their story and took questions from BASE student-athletes. It was an awesome event highlighting our work in STEM!
Attorney General Healey Pays a Visit to BASE Hoopz
On Saturday, September 24th, 2022, Massachusetts Attorney General, Maura Healey, stopped by our BASE Hoopz Developmental Basketball Academy at the Orchard Garden Boys & Girls Club to show her support. After leading a conversation with the student-athletes about what improvements they would like to see in their communities, AG Healey – a former professional basketball player – shot around and played some ball with us! We thank the Attorney General for her time and engagement with our youth & families.
2022 BASE Graduation Celebration
On Friday, May 20th we gathered with BASE families and friends for our annual Graduation Celebration in honor of our seniors. Each graduate shared her/his plans with the audience, with 35 out of 38 heading to college in the fall and the remaining three securing full-time, career-focused employment. We were joined by BASE Founder, Robert Lewis Jr., Massachusetts Secretary of Education, James Peyser, and President of Urban College, Michael Taylor, a long time partner of The BASE. Taylor congratulated the graduates on their accomplishment and reminded them of the importance of being role models to the younger generation of BASE student-athletes coming behind them. All graduates received new iPads and gift cards to help them prepare for the next steps in their journey.
6th Annual Angel Oller BASE All-Stars vs. Alumni Game at Fenway Park
On Sunday, May 22nd, 2022, The BASE held its 6th annual All-Star game, featuring our top high school baseball players vs. BASE alumni (some of whom serve as coaches and instructors). The game, named in honor of BASE student-athlete Angel Oller who tragically lost his life, is a tradition and point of pride for our baseball players, alumni, and entire BASE Family. We are grateful to the Boston Red Sox, who once again made historic Fenway Park available to us, on what turned out to be a beautiful spring night. It also turned out to be a great game, with the alumni jumping out to an early lead and the All-Stars roaring back to give us a 5-5 tie to end the game. We saw some great plays in the field, solid pitching, and a solo home run blasted over the Green Monster by one of the alumni!
Hot Stove, Cool Music Community Luncheon
Special Annual Event Hosted with the Foundation To Be Named Later
On Saturday, April 30th, 2022, The BASE hosted a special event in collaboration with The Foundation To Be Named Later, founded by former Red Sox GM and current Major League Baseball executive, Theo Epstein. The FTBNL hosted its annual Hot Stove Cool Music concert in Boston over the weekend, and once again chose The BASE as the venue for their community luncheon. It is an honor to host this very special event, connecting Major League Baseball to the communities and residents of Boston, with some impressive guests!
The BASE’s 5th Annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast (2022)
Transitions: A Celebration of Women’s Resilience and Determination
The BASE’s 5th Annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast was a smash hit! Our panelists were fantastic and inspiring, but the stars of the show were our incredible young women: Gwen Castro, Alona Lynch, Genesis Funes, Gricelda Castro, and Shakura Lynch. The students were paired up for interviews with these Boston leaders:
- Dalila Argaez-Wendlandt, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court
- Katie Everett, President of The Lynch Foundation
- Dr. Aisha Francis, President of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
- Betty Francisco, CEO of the Boston Impact Initiative
- Dr. Makeeba McCreary, President of the New Commonwealth Fund
We thank these amazing leaders who shared their stories and highlighted some of the values that carried them through times of transition. Thank you also to our moderator Natanja Craig-Oquendo, Executive Director of the Boston Women’s Fund; our host, Marty Meehan, President of the University of Massachusetts; and our event co-hosts, Lauren Baker, First Lady of Massachusetts, and Chrystal Kornegay, Executive Director of MassHousing; and to our event sponsors: The Smith Family Foundation, Foundation to be Named Later, Grace Fey, Linda Dorcena Forry, and Stephanie Shapiro-Berkson.
If you haven’t had a chance to make an investment in the young women of The BASE, you still can: Click Here to Donate!
