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Minds Matter Continues its Unprecedented Success with a New Mission Statement Core of 100% successful program stays the same with new clarity and refinement of purpose
November 30, 2020 New York, NY Since its inception in 1991, Minds Matter has been dedicated to transforming the lives of accomplished high school students from low-income families by broadening their dreams and preparing them for college success. The results of that work are clear: in 29 years of existence, 100% of Minds Matter graduates nationwide have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities. That work has struck a chord and fulfilled a need across the country, and in doing so Minds Matter has organically spread from a few students in New York City to hundreds of students across 14 major cities nationwide. With thousands of volunteers supporting these students, Minds Matter’s impact is dramatic and marked. Its core programming is the key: college access has repeatedly been shown as one of the most powerful levers to break free of the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Along with the nationwide expansion came a desire in Minds Matter leadership to reference and honor the fundamental motivation of its students, the level of investment that tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers and supporters have made in those students, and the life-long benefits that accrue for the students in whom we invest. Which is why, after 29 successful years, all 14 Minds Matter chapters and the national office unanimously decided to update the mission statement to reflect these and other important elements as the program embarks on its fourth decade of success. The organization is excited to announce that it has refined its mission statement to reflect the benefits of the research-based, deeply-impactful Minds Matter program nationwide. The revised mission statement reads: Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world. Sara Elaqad, Chair of the Minds Matter Chapter Leadership Council, reflects that “This updated mission maintains the important and persistent focus of our work, while also bringing to the forefront the innate skills and impact multiple stakeholders bring together to promote equitable access to higher education and a lifetime of opportunity for our students nationwide.” Ashish Shah, Co-Chair of the Minds Matter National Board of Directors, shares that “this new mission showcases the energy and research-based best practices that our 14 chapters share as well as highlighting the dedication of our students. This new mission statement describes our work—and all that Minds Matter has to offer—in a more meaningful way.” “The focus on people, preparation, and possibilities showcases the resources we bring to bear to provide unprecedented successes for our students. In light of the global Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide conversation around systemic inequity, it’s clear that our mission is critical,” says Shah. “At the end of the day, this new mission statement unifies the work across our 14 chapters. Our community is strong, and our work continues.” About Minds Matter Minds Matter connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world. Through a highly selective and rigorous 3-year academic mentoring program, Minds Matter students accomplish the extraordinary: 100% of Minds Matter program graduates are accepted into a four-year college and more than 70% of them attend the nation’s selective colleges. Powered by over 2,000 volunteers nationwide, Minds Matter chapters are located in 14 cities across the country. The national office of Minds Matter is located in New York City. For more information about Minds Matter, please contact Minds Matter’s Chapter Leadership Council Chair, Sara Elaqad, at sara@mindsmattercleveland.org. Click here to view, download or print as a PDF (link will open in a new window).
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 Minds Matter Portland is celebrating over a decade of service in local education. In the past 11 years, we have helped more than 130 motivated high school students achieve their dreams of attending premier universities, many with significant financial aid and scholarships. This accomplishment is only possible thanks to our completely volunteer-run Portland chapter and the contributions made by community members like you. That means that every donation you give goes straight to Minds Matter students like those pictured above. From here, our alumni travel across the globe, radiating generosity, intellect, and purpose. No matter where they go next, however, they take with them one shared truth: their minds matter. Please join us in congratulating the Minds Matter Portland Class of 2017!
 Minds Matter of Portland marked its tenth year with ten amazing graduating seniors. Each student has been admitted, with substantial financial aid, to a four-year college or university.
Please join us in congratulating the Minds Matter Portland Class of 2016, and check out where they’re headed! Karina Paul, Clark College Biftu Sultan, Lewis & Clark College Pei Pei Chen, Pacific Lutheran University Cecelina Robinson, Pacific Lutheran University Tran Hoang, Pacific Lutheran University Yessica Martinez, Stanford University Benjamin Kitoko, University of Oregon Kathy Truong, University of Portland Gameti Kalil, University of Washington Hannah Kwak, Wellesley College  Minds Matter of Portland marked its ninth year with thirteen amazing graduating seniors. Each student has been admitted, with substantial financial aid, to a four-year college or university.
Please join us in congratulating the Minds Matter Portland Class of 2015, and check out where they’re headed! Anayanci de Paz · Reed College Chrisleine Temple · Williams College Cristina Flores · Pacific Lutheran University Diana Rivas-Garcia · Lehigh University Haedon Brunelle · Pacific Lutheran University Hanna Olson · Carroll College Isaac Kelly · Lehigh University Laura Phillips · Kenyon College Matt Tan · Oregon Institute of Technology Nebeu Fekede · University of Richmond Sean Reichardt · Washington State University Thien Nguyen · Northeastern University Tihanne Mar-Shall · Lewis and Clark College Minds Matter alumna Angie Jimenez (Forest Grove High School ’10) graduated May 24 from Pacific Lutheran University with a degree in Hispanic Studies. PLU profiled her for their Graduate Voices series.
It was mandatory that she attend every … single … session if she were to stay in the program, which tutors and supports disadvantaged high-school youth and prepares them to enter top-notch colleges.
But the glasslike surface was too much, and her car ended up in a ditch. Still determined, she convinced the program mentor, who came to pick her up, to bring her back to classes, only to find out they’d been canceled due to the weather. “It’s that kind of commitment which marks these graduates,” said Dale Benson, a member of PLU’s Board of Regents who, along with his wife, Jolita, sponsored Jimenez in the Minds Matter program and assisted in the financing of her college education. The Bensons became involved in Minds Matter through a friend at their church. The Bensons were impressed by the program and decided to help out. In a rare downtime slot the week before graduation, Jimenez said that as she walks across the stage on May 24, becoming the first in her family to earn a college degree— in her case, Hispanic Studies—she will be grateful for all the support that made her journey possible: from the Bensons, her Minds Matter tutors, the Karl Stumo family, her PLU professors and her parents, who arrived in the U.S. as undocumented workers 15 years ago. |
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