Financial Empowerment

“If you lead by action, people will follow.”

During his time as an MLK Scholar from 2007-2010, Darius worked with both the Thomas Community Center and the Tobin Community Center. He valued the program because of its namesake. The values Martin Luther King Jr. Stood for were values Darius sought to live his life by.

Darius said he was reserved and a bit hesitant, but participating in the program helped build his confidence and made him the person he is today. He was awarded a scholarship through the Red Sox and graduated from Bentley University, having held jobs with the Celtics, the Bruins and now the Red Sox. Young people in his community strive to follow in his footsteps. 

“To be a good leader, you have to be a good listener.”

An MLK Scholar with Teen Empowerment from 2009 – 2014, Amy wanted to make a social impact on the community after losing her cousin to a random act of gun violence. Through this program, she found her voice and developed leadership skills. She believes that being a good leader means being a good listener.

She says that the program taught her that there is always something to do to help people. Currently, she works as an internal auditor for Massachusetts courthouses, and she says that this is the way she gives back to the community.“If you lead by action, people will follow.”

“My commitment to community shaped my future.”

Coleman was an MLK Scholar from 2012-2016, spending all four summers at the South Boston Community Health Center because he felt a commitment to see the cause through.

The program gave him perspective on the topics of finance and leadership and helped him become outgoing and driven. He credits the success stories he heard at the program’s workshops with the inspiration to create a distinct vision of his future. Enrolled at the Florida Institute of Technology, he is double majoring in psychology and applied behavior analysis. His commitment to community development stays strong in his current role as a manager with the Neighborhood Development Corps. 

“Education is the key to opportunity.”

An MLK Scholar at Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2010 – 2015, Alex was a music teacher and camp counselor for young students. She says that it taught her the best ways to approach certain situations and issues with friends, colleagues, and bosses. She is now comfortable taking on leadership roles in competitive arenas.

At Yale University, she plays basketball and is majoring in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality studies. She is interested in advocacy and media studies. She believes that staying in school is important for minorities because education is the key to opportunity. She emphasizes that it is important to understand that education will open doors

“I love learning. I want kids to love learning too.”

An MLK Scholar with the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester in 2012 and 2013, Maeve had been a member herself since she was three years old. She mentored kids the same way she had been mentored by staff growing up. 

Maeve was a shy child, but now she is a strong and independent young woman. She applies what she has learned as a Scholar in her daily life. Having found a love for working with children, she aspires to make her passion a career. Maeve is the first in her family to graduate college and is continuing on to get her masters in elementary education. Her goal is to work for the Boston Public Schools.

“Be confident in everything you do.”

An MLK Scholar from 2015-2016, Takora worked for Boston Harbor Now as a social media manager, marketing their Waterfront Planning and Development initiatives. She sees the summers as transformative because the program pushed beyond her comfort zone and made her step up as a leader.

She says the program helped her transition to college, giving her the confidence she needed as a student athlete. She just finished her freshman year at Temple University where she plays basketball. The MLK Scholars program helped her procure a job at GrlzRadio, where she started to love broadcasting. She is hoping to secure a position with NBC.

“I gained so much insight into the real world.”

India was an MLK Scholar at the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) from 2007 – 2010, working first in an administrative role and then with the Girls Leadership Program. It was there that India discovered her passion for working with at-risk youth.

After studying psychology in college (with a double minor in gender studies and sociology), India now works with Children’s Services of Roxbury. Not only does she help neighborhood families from all sorts of backgrounds and demographics, she leads a diverse team of more than 70 individuals. India applies the organizational and budgeting skills she learned as an MLK Scholar to develop grant proposals in her commitment to help even more families in need.

“Never be afraid to speak your mind.”

Prior to his time as an MLK Scholar with John Hancock, Carlos worked as a youth coordinator with Team Empowerment. It was there that his passion for giving back to the community was ignited. As a Scholar with John Hancock’s Corporate Responsibility group, he was intrigued and excited to see how a large corporation that shared his values could positively impact the community.

Carlos found the MLK Scholars workshops and speakers inspiring. Especially the ones who came from a similar background to his, demonstrating that where you come from doesn’t have to limit how far you go. Perhaps the greatest lesson Carlos took away from the program, and one he practices and encourages in others every day in his current role as a b. good Customer Communication Associate, is “everyone’s voice and opinion matters and deserves to be heard.”

“Make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.”

An aspiring performer, Mackenzie worked on the Boston Landmark Orchestra’s stage crew as an MLK Scholar from 2010 – 2012. The work he did had a tremendous impact on the community, exposing kids to the world of classical music through a weekly series of free Wednesday concerts. 

Mackenzie saw the MLK Scholars program as an opportunity to broaden his horizons and expand his network. Both of which he can definitively say he’s achieved. He is currently employed full time as a stage supervisor for the Boston Landmark Orchestra. And he continues to work on building his network and acquiring new skills and experiences to help him pursue his dream of someday performing on Broadway.

“Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

An MLK Scholar with Save the Harbor Save the Bay from 2009 – 2011, Thi says she was extremely uncomfortable in her own skin when she started in the program. The experience taught her that the moment you are most uncomfortable is when you are learning the most about yourself and growing. 

To Thi, being a good leader means being able to recognize the different skills that individuals bring to the table and admitting that sometimes the people you are leading know more than you do. A lesson she applies in her current role as an AmeriCorps Massachusetts Promise Fellow, where she mentors a group of 10 teenagers at the Cleveland Community Center.