Banner Sports Sponsored by the Patriots Foundation
Founded in 2013, the BASE facility, located at 150 Shirley St. in Roxbury, provides shelter from the ills of the streets and a developmental vehicle for young people looking for a pathway to success in life.
Education and sports, in that order, are central themes of the BASE program. One of the most essential components of the BASE philosophy is “work grounded in a strength-based approach and a culture of love, excellence and belief, creating a community in which young people can thrive.”
On March 19, the BASE held its 8th Annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast to honor student-athletes and special guests. Sponsored by the University of Massachusetts, the leadership breakfast was attended by over 100 people.
The event co-chairs, Lauren Baker, Aixa Beauchamp and Yvonne Garcia, bring heavy credentials to the organization.
Baker is the former First Lady of Massachusetts and the founder and CEO of Wonderfund, which improves children’s lives served by the Department of Children & Families. Beachamp is a philanthropic leader and the managing director of Beauchamp & Associates. Garcia is the chief of staff to the CEO of State Street. She is responsible for setting and executing the firm’s strategic priorities for clients, representing over $9 billion in revenue.
This triumvirate of highly successful women serves as role models for the 398 girls and young women in the BASE program. They, along with mentors Nelly Xavier, Danielle Rodriquez, Stephanie Davern, Rosalin Acosta and Julie Sullivan — each with impressive resumes of their own — play active roles in shaping the futures of the young women and some young men at the BASE.
Student-athletes at The BASE interview civic and business leaders about their career journeys at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast at the University of Massachusetts Club. PHOTO: THE BASE
The panel of mentors, each with a mentee, took center stage explaining the value of their work.
“I have been with the BASE program for the better part of a year and just met my mentee, Ruby Gold, an 18-year-old senior at Boston Latin Academy today,” said Xavier. “The irony of the situation is that as a young woman, I grew up right down the street from the BASE.”
“I’m so honored to meet a woman like Nelly Xavier. I look up to her, as well as the other successful women that I have met through my involvement with the BASE,” said Ruby Gold.
Gold also mentioned the BASE amenities. “The facility is first-rate and great for my development as a softball player. The connections that I have made with my teammates and the staff at the BASE will serve me throughout my life,” she said, concluding, “Someday, I hope to be successful and come back to the BASE to help other young people like me.”
Gold’s teammates, 17-year-old Valentina Tate, 14-year-old Bri Vazguez, 18-year-old Kalani Kahrim and 13-year-old Junie Fernandez, offered their opinions on their BASE experience.
“We are a tight-knit group on and off the field of play. We have formed life-long friendships,” said Tate.
Vazquez was quiet, rarely speaking, until she came to the BASE. “I met new people and gradually came out of my shell. This place helped to develop my speaking skills,” she said.
Kahrim “was scared to go to BASE at first.” But she said, “My teammates welcomed me in such a way that it helped me to form an unbreakable bond with them.”
Fernandez’s dream is to become a pediatric oncologist or a professional softball player. “The BASE has given me the confidence to pursue both professions,” she said.
Arindni Cruz, a non-panelist member of the BASE who was in attendance to support her teammates, spoke eloquently about the organization. “The BASE has provided so many of its members with different adventures. You always know someone is there for you. And that gives me the courage to dream of someday going to college and making a better life for me and my family,” said Cruz.
Nelly Xavier, a managing director of CW Advisors, spoke further about neighborhood building. “I, along with every person in a leadership position, owe a debt to the communities from whence we came. I am one of a very small number of executives, Black women and Black men that I have met over the years while climbing the corporate ladder. Many days, I was the only woman and Black person in a corporate board meeting. It took me time to find my voice. I am dedicated to teaching the young people in my care to find their voice,” she said.
Xavier further explained, “I connect with young women because they are me. Growing up, people saw potential in me. I see that same potential in these young women, and I am committed to helping them, as well as the young men in the BASE, reach their life goals.”
Success, according to Xavier, is a collaborative effort.
“If you want to consider your life successful, measure it by how many young people you have helped along your life path. I am looked at as a successful person in my community. I am proud of my accomplishments. I want the same for the young people that come through the BASE program.
Lastly, Xavier talked about the importance and benefits of a close group.
“Being from a large family and a mother of children myself, I know how important family is to the development of successful people. I’m doing my part for my community and these young people at the BASE. We all know the stories of hardship, failure and despair that come out of poor communities. It is all of our jobs to erase the desperation of failure and lift our children to a higher stage in life. That’s why I am committed to the BASE and programs like it. They are the hope for our future,” she said.
The most important part of the 8th Annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast was the hope seen in the eyes of the young women who attended the event, especially the young student-athletes. February is Black History Month. March is National Women’s Month. Both months deserve more days than they are celebrated.
A special note of thanks to every person who helps make the BASE the success that it currently is. Keep up the great work. We know our community, and ones like it, need it.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.