Special Late Summer Partakers Newsletter-Celebrating Our Grads!

"When no one thought we could accomplish the simplest goals, Partakers gave us the chance to succeed, to prove that we can become someone. Today we are someone.”

~Partakers Graduate

Dear Friends,

We hope this finds you well and having the opportunity to squeeze in some last bits of summer!

As we start thinking of fall and Back to School season, at Partakers we are celebrating Graduation.

This is a special edition of our newsletter to showcase our amazing graduates from both our College Behind Bars and PEP Reentry Programs.

Over my many years at Partakers, I have had the opportunity to be a part of and share in so many graduation ceremonies for our students. These experiences never become routine. Each and every one is an extraordinary moment not only for our students and their families, but also for our Mentors who have taken this journey alongside their Mentees, in many cases from the start. Graduation for any student is always a momentous event filled with joy and accomplishment. For students inside, however, the courage and tenacity to reach this milestone against every roadblock and to achieve their degree with the power and the promise that it holds for them is truly life-changing.

This month we celebrated our 16th! PEP Reentry Graduation. For our PEP reentry students, graduation from the program is a testament to their determination to open a new chapter in their lives and to carry new skills and a supportive community along with them. Their road may not always be smooth as they reestablish and forge new paths for themselves, but they now know they have the tools they need and they are not alone.

As we move toward Partakers' 30th anniversary year, I am reflecting on so many of our graduations and looking forward to this fall's ceremony with Graduates from the Boston College Prison Education Program. It is one of my greatest joys to watch our graduates go on to build lives of true hope and purpose and see them thrive.

At Partakers, we have always believed in the power of education to change the trajectory for so many. What Partakers knows so well, however, is that education coupled with the transformative power of Mentor relationships is a formula that secures that promise in so many ways. Partakers has been demonstrating this for nearly 30 years, and we look forward to expanding our reach to celebrate many, many more graduates.

What makes Partakers stand out from all other in-prison and reentry models? Simply- our Mentors! We know Relationships Matter! Mentors Matter!

We currently have student wait-lists and are in need of Mentors for both our College Behind Bars and PEP Reentry Program.

We invite you to join us in celebrating the power and the promise of lives transformed!

See below to learn how you can become involved. We hope you will join us for one of our Mentor Info Sessions to learn more about the Power of Partakers Mentoring.

Thank you for always being here for us! Your friendship and generous support make our work possible.

With appreciation and heartfelt wishes,

Arthur Bembury, Executive Director