Saint Vincent College recently welcomed the Baltimore-based life program Next One Up.
“Our mission is to help transform the lives of young men through academics, athletics, and social development,” said Shel Simon, Next One Up Deputy CEO. “We recruit young men in middle school and stick with them and support them all the way through college.”
Saint Vincent College Dean of Admission Heather Kabala said that Saint Vincent enjoys hosting the program on campus, as it allows its students a better understanding of how to operate as a college student on a college campus.
“We are so proud to partner with Next One Up,” said Kabala. “This foundation is doing incredibly impactful work with the young men of Baltimore and their mission is very complementary to ours here at Saint Vincent College.”
Throughout the week, the Next One Up students have attended classes and educational sessions conducted by members of the Saint Vincent faculty and staff, while taking part in various activities and community enrichment and physical workout sessions led by Next One Up staff.
“This is one of the most impactful weeks that we have,” said Simon. “A big part of what we do throughout our mentorship program is promoting college. A lot of our guys are obviously athletes who want to get to that next level, but a lot of them are first-generation college-goers who just don’t know what it looks like to get to that next level.”
Kabala said that Saint Vincent College hopes to continue this partnership with Next One Up for years to come, and that the experiences that it provides its participants mirrors those that the College aims to provide its students.
“The guidance, mentorship and life lessons provided to the young men of Next One Up creates opportunities for them that may not have existed in their lives without their involvement with the program,” added Kabala. “It is truly a transformational experience, and we are doing similar work to transform the lives of our students. Symbiotic relationships like this with Next One Up are helping Saint Vincent expand our reach and draw students to campus who value the experiences we provide.”
Simon stated that the experience is more than just a five-day stay at Saint Vincent College for his students.
“The whole staff at Saint Vincent, from the administration and admission office all the way down to the cafeteria staff, has been incredibly welcoming. It’s just an awesome partnership. It really just blew us away as a staff last year and it’s great to be back here again.”