Spring has sprung, and with it comes the excitement of new beginnings and fresh opportunities. We are thrilled to share with you the success of our annual Career Fair, which took place in person at Cambridge Rindge and Latin and Somerville High School. We are grateful for the enthusiastic participation of our community partners, local businesses and sponsors, who provided invaluable career insights and guidance to our students.
Our Enroot seniors are preparing for college admissions or entering the workforce, and we are proud of all their hard work and accomplishments. We know that this transition can be challenging, but we know that our students have the skills, knowledge, and determination to succeed.
As we approach the end of the school year, we are excited to announce the return of our beloved end-of-year camping trip. This event has always been a highlight of our program, and we cannot wait to reunite and celebrate. We look forward to creating new memories, sharing stories, and reflecting on the achievements of the past year.
As always, we want to thank you, our dedicated staff, board, volunteers, and community partners who make Enroot’s work with students possible. We are grateful for your continued support and generosity, which helps us empower immigrant students to achieve their full potential.
Sincerely,
Rose Francois
Executive Director
Life Science Cares Impact Reception
at the Museum of Science
Photo Captions
Left: Sarah MacDonald, National President of Life Science Cares,
Judi Alperin KIng, Founder & Executive Director of the Wily Network,
and Rose Francois, Executive Director of Enroot at the event
Right: Rose Francois speaking about Enroot during the reception
On Tuesday evening, May 9th, Enroot was honored to attend the Life Science Cares Impact Reception and Awards celebrating the progress made to alleviate the effects of poverty in Boston. Enroot’s own Rose Francois and Vania Loredo enjoyed the gathering and mingling with other guests at the beautiful Museum of Science.
Life Science Cares is one of Enroot’s staunchest supporters, and their partnership is invaluable for our work with immigrant youth. We want to send a huge shout-out and thank them for their continued commitment. Special thanks to the Life Science Cares team, Sarah MacDonald, Kelly Brawn, and Bailey Katsumata-Smith for remaining steadfast in their pursuit to advocate for and promote organizations like Enroot.
Enroot has been selected as a beneficiary of the 2023 Kendall Square Challenge!
The 4th annual Kendall Square Challenge is coming up soon! Over 50 teams from organizations across Kendall Square gather to compete in a series of physical and mental challenges, all in support of local nonprofits. We are so thrilled to announce that Enroot has been selected as a beneficiary of the 2023 Kendall Square Challenge! Eight local nonprofits are selected and will benefit from the KSA Challenge on June 14th. After the Challenge KSA participants, members, and other partners celebrate together with a Kendall Square Block Party.
We are so honored and grateful for the support of the KSA team, membership, and the
organizations taking part in the Challenge.
If you are interested in participating in the Challenge, please click here!
Career Fair 2023
Photo Captions: Left: Career Fair underway at Somerville High School on April 6th
Right: Representatives from our partners at LabCentral Ignite, at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Career Fair in full swing at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School on April 4th
Career Fair 2023 was a resounding success! We hosted our first in-person Career Fair this year at both our partner high school sites with in-person workshops for Cambridge Rindge and Latin School on April 4th, and Somerville High School on April 6th. Over the first week of April, all Enroot students, including College Success students, had the opportunity to meet and listen to professionals from the sectors of biotechnology, finance and banking, healthcare, local government, and so many more from Greater Boston. Representatives from MIT, William Blair, Google, Alnylam, Biogen, LabCentral Ignite, staffers from the cities of Cambridge and Somerville, and many more were on hand to connect and network with students. They offered students insights into their respective fields, hands-on and interactive programming, expert STEM panel discussions, and 1:1 resume and interview coaching support. This was an informative event that added value to students’ toolboxes as they explore and start thinking about their future careers.
A heartfelt thank you to Career Fair sponsors: Cambridge Trust Charitable Foundation, William Blair, MIT, Eastern Bank Foundation, and Google for making this possible! Thank you to Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and Somerville High School for hosting and being so accommodating for the event.
Enroot expresses a huge debt of gratitude to Life Science Cares, our very generous partner who always supports our work, including this year’s Career Fair. And a very special shout-out to Enroot students, staff, mentors, and other partners who ensured the entire week went smoothly and was so much fun!
Post Secondary and College Success Program
Photo Captions:
Left: Enroot students touring the Northeastern University campus.
Right: Enroot students spent an afternoon seeing the Wentworth Institute of Technology campus.
Spring means it’s college acceptance season! Enroot students have secured over $123,000 in scholarship awards, and there is more on the way. Enroot’s team has been working with students to ensure that their scholarships are meeting their needs. We are so proud of the hard work that students have done to meet their milestones. Shout out to our students for their incredible efforts and persistence. One Somerville High School student has received over $64,000 in scholarships to attend Emmanuel College! We can’t wait to report what’s next for these students, so stay tuned!
Cambridge and Somerville Program Events
Photo Captions: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Left: Enroot hosted an Opportunity Panel for students to become acquainted with new career pathways
Right: Cambridge Program Team and students had a blast on a bowling field trip
Photo Captions: Somerville High School
Left: Enroot's Somerville Program team celebrating students for their Quarter 3 achievements
Right: Enroot Somerville High School students gathered after a fun ice skating field trip
Enroot Staff Updates
Photo Caption: Left: Ellie Villa-Wilson, Interim Director of College Success
Right: Mahlet Aklu, Director of Operations
Speaking of new beginnings, the Enroot team is flourishing! We’re thrilled to announce Ellie Villa-Wilson as our new Interim Director of College Success. Ellie is no stranger to Enroot, serving as the College Success Associate since 2021. Ellie is stepping into her new role, relishing the hard work and enjoying her time spent with students at the most crucial points during the academic year. Ellie strongly advocates for “creating a sense of belonging for immigrant students and their families'', and aims to empower everyone with whom she works. Ellie holds a Master’s of Education in Higher Education from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire.
Enroot is delighted to have Mahlet Aklu join our team as our new Director of Operations. Mahlet previously served on Enroot’s Board and has over ten years of experience in Executive Education. She worked at the Harvard Kennedy School, most recently as the Senior Director of Executive Education for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative - a collaboration among Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Prior to her time at Harvard, Mahlet has worked in Social Services in Virginia investigating cases of child abuse and neglect and providing comprehensive services to children and their families. Mahlet holds a B.A. and M.A. in Social Work.
Mahlet was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and came to the United States as a junior in high school. She moved to the Boston area 14 years ago and currently lives in Arlington with her husband and two young daughters.
Please join us in welcoming Ellie and Mahlet in their new roles!
Volunteer and Community Engagement
Photo Caption:
Top: Enroot and friends after their spin class
Bottom: The HandleBar Harvard Square
On March 21st, The HandleBar Harvard Square was so generous to offer a spin class on their schedule to raise money to promote Enroot’s programming. Our very own Molly McCafferty organized 20 of our mentors and other Enroot friends for a fun spin class, raising approximately $540. These funds will support end of year celebrations, including Enroot’s camping trip. Special thanks to all attendees and The HandleBar Harvard Square for an enjoyable, if challenging, ride!
What's Upcoming?
Enroot's End of Year Camping Trip
As we wrap up the current school year, we celebrate with the return of a beloved highlight for students, the Enroot camping trip. This year, students and staff will camp at the Appalachian Mountain Club Cardigan Lodge in Alexandria, New Hampshire. The camping trip will take place at the end of June, and Enroot students and staff will go hiking, sleep overnight in cabins, and spend time building community.
If you'd like to give to Enroot and support immigrant youth
Enroot is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering immigrant youth to achieve academic, career, and personal success through inspiring out-of-school experiences.
