Trinity Boston Foundation Blog

TEEP Alumni: Bringing Excellence to the Community

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TEEP graduates are succeeding in college and inspiring participants to follow their example. Here are two stories:

Stephanie first dreamed of becoming a chef as a 7th grader at TEEP. Five years later, success came in the form of an acceptance letter to Johnson & Wales University and its College of Culinary Arts. The first in her family to attend college, Stephanie is now in her junior year. In 2009, Stephanie returned to TEEP for a third summer as head chef with the responsibility of feeding more than 100 people each day.

TEEP creates opportunities for students to explore new activities and see themselves and their futures in a new way. Shaina put it this way:

As a TEEP alumna and staffer, I know the importance of the mission of TEEP and the impact it can have on young people who are growing up in Boston. TEEP inspires students to adopt the five R’s (respect, responsibility, restraint, reciprocity, redemption) as life principles and to think about how our actions can have an impact on an entire community. You learn that education can help you see beyond your circumstances and put you closer to your dreams.

This past fall, I helped TEEP students with SAT prep. They needed assistance with math, English, and writing skills. Just a couple of hours each week made a difference not only in their test skills but also in their self-esteem. Building self-esteem allows them to feel that they can go to college, follow their dreams, and help solve the problems impacting their local communities and abroad.

Presently I am a junior at Salem State College majoring in political science. While working at TEEP, I volunteered for several Boston campaigns for Mayor Menino and City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, and I interned at the United South End Settlement. I hope to be a corporate lawyer and continue to support the issues that TEEP is addressing.

Join us on April 15 to meet TEEP graduates like Stephanie and support middle schoolers following in their footsteps!

This article was originally posted in the Bostonians for Youth blog.