Learn & Earn introduces Boston youth to the Emmanuel experience

Arian is program manager for Summer Learn and Earn, a City of Boston program where students earn a stipend for taking college courses. The program is new at Emmanuel this summer, with 40 students enrolled in business and criminal justice classes. 

“It’s a very unique opportunity for rising juniors and seniors in Boston,” said Arian. “Often we see students who have to choose between furthering their education or taking a job over the summer to meet their financial needs. This is a way they can do both.”

Arian has firsthand experience with how a campus visit can change the trajectory of young lives. 

“I am not a shy person, but I remember having some trepidation about college before I visited the Emmanuel campus,” said Arian. “It’s great to see our students coming to campus, becoming comfortable in this environment, and possibly carving out their own paths here.”

Now in her second year with the program, Arian described the Emmanuel expansion as an outgrowth of an ongoing collaboration between the College and the Boston Tax Help Coalition, which shares office space with her department in Roxbury.

Emmanuel students often volunteer through the coalition to provide free tax prep assistance for low-to-moderate income Boston residents. Emmanuel School of Business & Management Dean Anne Marie Pasquale, J.D., connected with Arian through the partnership and the possibility for further collaboration came into focus from there. 

“Emmanuel was very resource-ready and collaborative,” said Arian. “They wanted to find the path and a way, and we found it.”

Pasquale described Summer Learn and Earn as a great opportunity for local students, adding Emmanuel was happy to host weekly enrichment days for the entire program, which is also offered at Roxbury Community College and Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology.

“We are so happy to join this great initiative from the Mayor’s office and introduce more than 120 local students to the Emmanuel experience,” said Pasquale.

Establishing and strengthening community partnerships is a priority for Emmanuel College that is headed up by Chief Strategist Cindy O’Callaghan in the Office of the President. She said community connections have always been part of the Emmanuel story, adding that it has taken on even greater importance given that participating in internships is a graduation requirement at the College.   

“There’s a very real ripple effect from these conversations that lead to collaborations,” said O’Callaghan. “We have strong partnerships, but we’re always looking for new ways to make the most of our location and expand opportunities for our students.”

Allison Vernerey is executive director for the Office of Youth Employment and Opportunity for the City of Boston, which helps connect roughly 10,000 teens with employment, annually. She said interest in Summer Learn and Earn skyrocketed during the pandemic as a way to keep students engaged year-round, and credited partner schools with making a lasting impact for local youth. 

“We do a lot of research to ensure our programs have a positive impact for students,” said Vernerey. “The students who participate generally have higher aspirations to attend college, and it also helps with higher graduation rates and lower absenteeism.”

Full Circle at Emmanuel 

A native of Boston’s Back Bay, Arian is a self-described “late learner” who initially eschewed college after graduating high school. She eventually decided higher education was necessary to reach her career goals. A friend recommended Emmanuel and the College’s supportive mindset made a great first impression; she quickly felt comfortable enough to go outside her comfort zone. 

“As a business major, I had a lot of math, which was not in my wheelhouse,” said Arian. “But the professors were supportive and helpful, and I am forever grateful for that.”

Arian went on to earn a master’s in criminal justice at Suffolk University and a master’s in social work at NYU. She described returning to Emmanuel this summer as coming full circle, saying it’s exciting to help the next generation of learners get started on their journeys. 

“We don’t just want kids to pass, we want them to reach their highest potential and have confidence when they enter a college classroom later on,” said Arian. 

Registration for Summer Learn and Earn is closed for this year, and is expected to open for 2025 in March. Click here to learn more.