Skip to content

January 2021 Newsletter

A BIG THANK YOU to our community for your generous support over the past year! In 2020, we:
  • Launched virtual college and career readiness programs
  • Engaged in one on one support, mentoring young people through remote internships
  • Conducted webinars
  • Hosted our first-ever virtual fundraiser, and so much more.
In 2021, we look forward to continuing to meet the needs of the young people we are so fortunate to serve!!
Introducing our Winter 2021 Strengths Program participants!
This week we are thrilled to welcome a new group of inspired participants for our virtual Winter Strengths Program. We will spend the next 5 weeks working on college and career readiness skills through interactive workshops, discussions, one on one support, and of course…. fun games.

For all BroadFutures Alumni:
All BroadFutures Alumni are invited to participate in Wednesday sessions with Raymond during our virtual Winter Strengths Program! We will cover topics such as professional communication, elevator pitches, and mock interviews. Sessions will be held on February 3rd, 10th, and 24th from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. EST. Feel free to pick and choose which sessions you want to attend. If interested, please fill out the interest form below.

BONUS: Alumni are also invited to attend the Getting Hired presentation on job searching on Wednesday, February 17th from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. EST.
Join us for a webinar:
Empowering Young People Through Self-Advocacy
A discussion examining the importance of self-advocacy and self-determination, especially during the time of COVID, and practical approaches to achieve it

Thursday, February 11th at 7:30pm EST

Hosted by BroadFutures,
in conversation with Beyond Akeela & Dr. David Black of CAAT

Spreading the word about BroadFutures
MENTOR Spotlight: BroadFutures
MENTOR National highlights BroadFutures in this spotlight as part of their ongoing 30th-anniversary celebration. The article features Senior Program Associate, Alexa Weidanz, as she talks about her mentoring experience at BroadFutures, as well as one of her mentees, Nicholas.

Eye to Eye Presentation
Our CEO, Carolyn Jeppsen, presented at this year’s Eye to Eye Young Leaders Organizing Institute. Her presentation included tips on how to prepare for transitioning to the workplace.
MENTOR Presentation
Carolyn will also be presenting at the National Mentoring Summit, hosted by MENTOR, on Friday, January 26.

Laurie Thomas moving into a new role as
Executive Vice President
We are very excited to announce that Laurie Thomas will be moving into a new role as Executive Vice President, where she will add to her duties of program support and also take on a more robust role in outreach efforts. Laurie has been with BroadFutures since the winter of 2015, and has coached over 130 BroadFutures interns and participants.

Laurie is excited for her new role. “I am very excited to take on this new position. Over the years I have been so fortunate to work with the many talented and diverse young people we serve. Helping them to identify their strengths, to self-advocate for what they need ,and to tap into their limitless potential has been incredibly rewarding and inspiring. Supporting employer partners in creating diverse and inclusive workplaces through hosting BroadFutures interns has been equally gratifying. I welcome this new opportunity to broaden our outreach to serve more young people and to expand our employer partnerships – particularly as the workplace has changed in these very challenging times.” 

Laurie, thanks for being willing to wear many hats here at BroadFutures. We are so grateful for your passion of the BroadFutures mission. Thank you and congrats!
Information Session – February 22nd

Interested in learning about our Summer 2021 Internship Program? Join us for a virtual information session on February 22nd at 1:00pm EST.

To receive the Zoom link, please RSVP to [email protected]
Hope to see you there!
Summer 2021 Internship Program
Application Deadline – March 15th
If interested in applying to be a summer intern, please do so here.

If you are interested in becoming an employer partner, we are always actively recruiting new employers.
Please find out more here.

December 2020 Newsletter

End of Year Message from our CEO, Carolyn Jeppsen
When I first reached out back in March after it was clear our world was changing, I was focused on our north star – innovation, and my refrain was the need to take things one day at a time. Who knew, 9 months later we would still be operating under that same banner. Yet, here we are.  So many lives have been lost and so many families touched by the many faces of COVID. Our front line workers have been operating with unimaginable grace under extreme stress and pressure. And while much remains the same, in so many ways we are so very different than we were back in March. As friends and family, we have been able to sift through the realities of what is important in life and what does not need our time and attention. For this, we are better off, spending time on the things than matter most, and with the people we love and cherish most. As an organization, we have taken flexibility and innovation to places we never thought we could, or would need to. We have created virtual training programs, one on one support programs, engaged in remote internships – all in an effort to prepare the incredible young people we serve for their futures. We have held webinars, conducted outreach to local high schools, conducted podcasts, spoken at conferences, met with our families and alums remotely to talk about the pressures of COVID, or just to have fun, and held our first ever successful Fall Fundraiser, where we recognized BroadFutures Champions across the US. In so doing, BroadFutures has continued to successfully serve our community, while also spreading the word of our mission, lifting up our national presence and building bridges for the future. 

As I look back on 2020, I am still taking things one day at a time, but I also see a horizon of hope. A horizon where the young people that we serve have equal opportunities and employers understand that our young participants represent an untapped talent pool. Most importantly, our horizon is bright, because of our incredible team here at BroadFutures, our Board, Advisory Board, and ALL of our supporters and partners who have contributed in a myriad of ways to our fiscal heath, stability, and hopeful future. I am so very grateful to ALL of you for supporting our mission in the many ways you do, and especially during this most challenging of years. Wishing everyone a happy, peace filled holiday season!!

Thank you, Compass!
We are thrilled to announce that BroadFutures has been selected to work with Compass on a Micro Project! We are delighted to be in the company of many other wonderful nonprofits who have been awarded a Micro Project as well. We are excited to get started in the new year!
Innovative & interactive curriculum for alternative learners
focusing on college and career readiness:

  • Program participants complete the program with the tools, strategies and communication skills for navigating remote learning and the virtual workspace.
  • Participants also learn how to search for jobs, network, and interview.
  • Participants leave the program with a resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile.
  • Most importantly, program participants learn how to effectively disclose their disability or learning style and ask for supports needed to be successful in school and in the workplace.

All curriculum is delivered in an interactive and innovative format that implements strategies for neurodiverse learners with the integration of the arts, collaborative projects and the inclusion of mindfulness and yoga techniques.

Curriculum Overview:

  • Navigating remote learning and the virtual workplace
  • Creating your elevator pitch
  • Mock interviews
  • Learn the art of resume writing and cover letters
  • Self-advocacy
  • Professional communication
  • Disclosure & accommodations/ appropriate supports in the workplace & school
  • Managing the job search process for success
  • How to collaborate with a team effectively online
Want to learn more?
Watch our 2021 Programs Information Session recording here.
Summer 2021 Internship Program
Application Deadline – March 15th
We are running an internship program this summer! If interested in applying, please do so here.

If you are interested in becoming an employer partner, we are always actively recruiting new employers.
Please find out more here.
It is not too late to help support our mission of empowering young people with learning disabilities!! If you want to spread holiday cheer through an act of giving, please consider a charitable gift to BroadFutures.
Employer Spotlight – EagleBank
EagleBank is one of the leading community banks in the Maryland, Virginia, and DC area. Founded with a desire to shape the typical banking style and include banking in local communities, EagleBank puts a strong emphasis on putting relationships first, crafting solutions to fit customers’ specific needs and offering a wide range of products and services that compete with larger (and smaller) banks.

Their five main values coexist in the acronym F*I*R*S*T, translating to flexible, involved, responsive, strong, and trusted. EagleBank’s emphasis on community resonates well with BroadFutures as we strive to create a more diverse and inclusive community in the workplace. EagleBank began its partnership with BroadFutures during our Winter 2017 Program, and the partnership has continued robustly since that time.
 
Tony Marquez, Senior EVP & President of Commercial Banking, spoke highly of our partnership and inclusion in the workplace: “In this time when diversity, inclusion, equality, and social justice are rightly top of mind, it is important that we lead with actions, not just words, and that these actions reflect the correct ethos for these challenging times. The BroadFutures internship program aligns with our own ideals to build a talented, inclusive, and diverse workplace at EagleBank. BroadFutures interns demonstrate and reinforce our belief that talent is found in different ways from different places.  
 
To that end, we recently hired one of our BroadFutures interns as a full time employee and we are grateful that the program has provided us with an opportunity to continue to employ the best talent from different backgrounds. We truly believe that diversity of talent equals diversity of thought and we thank BroadFutures for helping us find that talent.

Thank you, Tony, for your kind words. We look forward to continuing our partnership and are grateful that you were able to hire our intern, Alex full time – who is featured below! You can learn more about EagleBank here.
Alumni Intern Spotlight – Alex Milliken
Meet Alex from Arlington, Virginia for our next Alumni Intern Spotlight! We first met Alex back in the 2017 when he participated in our summer program. He interned with EagleBank in their Real Estate Department. Alex excelled at his internship and was asked to participate as a BroadFutures alumni member and intern for EagleBank again during the summer of 2018.

More recently, Alex graduated from Marymount University with a degree in Finance. Perhaps most exciting to us, Alex has recently been offered a full-time job at EagleBank and has already been working there. Congratulations, Alex!

Alex had this to say about his experience with BroadFutures and current job at EagleBank: “My experience at BroadFutures was very helpful in developing my skills for the workplace as well as increasing my ability to communicate effectively. I am delighted to be working as a commercial real-estate analyst for EagleBank. BroadFutures gave me the opportunity to have two summer internships there which was invaluable in being hired after graduating from college. I thank BroadFutures for their continued support and guidance, which have helped me to become a better individual and worker. I am currently working remotely, but feel I am learning a lot while contributing to this great company.

That is awesome to hear, Alex. We know you are accomplishing great work as a commercial real-estate analyst!