I've been a Mentor with BRYC for 2 years now, and have had an amazing experience. As a former teacher, I felt like my efforts were spread thin among many students. I never felt as though I was able to take the high-touch approach that I wanted to with all of my students. Through BRYC, I got to get to know two amazing young ladies and future leaders. I also got to experience the sheer joy of college acceptance letters and new open doors all over again. This program is an absolute asset to the Baton Rouge community, and its model has the potential to serve communities across the nation.
The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition has something extra, something that other organizations do not have, something you can't put on a paper to describe, BRYC has love! I enjoy everything that BRYC has to offer such as the community service opportunities, leadership discussions, mentoring and more. BRYC became a place where I could get away from my troubles at home and in the process became my family. They showed me that I deserve better and encouraged me to get away for a better education. With the help from BRYC I received a full scholarship to Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. What I like about BRYC is that the support does not end once we graduate. They will follow us through out the process, invested in our futures. I know I have the support and motivation to make it at a elite university like Wesleyan because of BRYC.
I joined the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition as a junior and returned my senior year and the decision I made to join has been the best choice I have ever made! BRYC helped me grow into my self and brought out my potential. Through leadership discussions they made me more conscious of life. They were an awesome support system. I was surrounded by other fellows and mentors who always uplifted and motivated me. The two years I have been in BRYC they have become a second family. I can honestly say that BRYC is a life changing organization they helped me reach heights I thought I would never reach. This fall I am going to Clark University in Massachusetts on a full ride with the help from the mentoring I received at BRYC. They pushed me and kept me motivated through the ups and downs of senior year to get the scholarships I needed. With the help from the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition I am that much closer to making a difference in another persons life just as they have made in mine.
BRYC does a phenomenal job bringing out the best in students in our community. They not only provide opportunities for the students to expend their horizons but also provide the community with valuable feedback from the students it serves. Every occasion I have had to work with BRYC students they have blown me away with their ability to express themselves and advocate for what they believe in.
The organization I was moderating, FOCUS (Focusing on College and Unlimited Success) was looking for a community partner to facilitate future stability. BRYC stepped up on short notice and volunteered to help us while allowing us to continue our organization as we have in the past. Thanks to the wonderful staff and students of BRYC!
As a former parent of BRYC, the program has made a great impact on my son's life has well has mine. BRYC paved the way and provided resources that would have never been available if he had not been apart of BRYC. BRYC taught me and my son to be open minded when it came to making decisions about college and his future. BRYC helped my son realize that its okay to set goals and have high expectations when it comes to making life choices. I would highly recommend BRYC to other families who may not have the knowledge or resources that will help their child pave the road of success.
I always tell people that BRYC is not an after-school program it’s a community. BRYC is full of amazing people who work every day to support your vision of the future. this program has been a life-changing experience for me and dozens of other young people like me.I can honestly say that I would not be the person I am if it was not for this group of awesome people helping me at every step along my way. I became a member of the program in my senior year of high school and BRYC gave me access to the resources I needed to raise my scores and grades in order to make the transition to college. BRYC has been one of the best investments I have ever made in my future and my hope is that we can keep making that type of impact in the lives of other deserving students.
I became a member of BRYC (more affectionately known a "BRYC Fellow) in the fall of 2011. From day one, they have been nothing but a support. BRYC is a program that stresses academics, but it stresses being a family, even more. I love the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition. They have given me a network of friends, who all desire to do great things and to gain success. They have given me some people who really push me to excel in all areas of life: academically, socially, and emotionally. I can truly say that I don't know where I would be without the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition.
The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition's mission is to ensure that hard-working teens have the resources they need to pursue their dreams. In a city that is rife with violence, poverty, and failing schools, top tier colleges and elite scholarship programs seem completely out of reach for even our brightest most successful students. What BRYC does is closes the gap between the talents and brilliance of our students and the opportunities and resources that are available to them. As a mentor, I had the privilege of guiding one young woman through the college process and watched her earn admission to Clark University in MA and earn over $35,000 in merit based scholarships, fundamentally altering her life path. I am inspired daily by the work BRYC does to level the playing field for Baton Rouge's students and by the students themselves as they accomplish remarkable things. Most importantly, BRYC brings a much needed hope to the city as Fellows grow empowered to create bold visions for the Baton Rouge they want to see and create the change to take us there.
BRYC is an incredible organization -- although I have not been involved for too long, BRYC has earned my deepest respect for its efforts changing the Baton Rouge community and serving its top students. BRYC is a community with contagious positivity and energy. BRYC inspires students and families to take action to better themselves and their communities. BRYC is exactly what Baton Rouge needs - it is a glimmer of hope in a failing school system. I urge every Baton Rouge high school student looking to invest in himself and his future to explore all that BRYC has to offer.