BRYC Overview
Mission
The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition prepares high-achieving, under-resourced high school students to enter, excel in, and graduate from college so they can become full participants in society.
Vision
BRYC will offer its Fellows individualized academic, personal, leadership and college support services that are equal or superior to the services available to their most resourced peers.
History
BRYC was founded in 2009 when Daniel Kahn, then a high school teacher, recognized that even his highest-achieving students lacked the resources they needed to realize college success.
Philosophy
The Baton Rouge Youth Coalition promotes intellectual and emotional exploration and risk-taking by offering programs that allow students to think and express themselves freely. Our primary aims are cultivating Fellows’ intellectual curiosities, guiding them toward greater self-awareness and self-acceptance, and fostering a space in which we all can develop a critical consciousness. Success in the college application process is crucial, and to that end, Fellows are asked to perform at a high level in a variety of ways. But BRYC’s main goal is to help students become critical and creative thinkers, and thoughtful, resilient, engaged citizens.
College
We provide Fellows with ACT prep, tutoring, and academic coaching, and help them to enter, pay for, transition to, and graduate from their dream colleges.
Consciousness
Through discussion and writing, we help Fellows develop self-awareness and confidence and gain an understanding of different injustices in society.
Community
We connect Fellows to valuable resources in BRYC and beyond, and we foster a supportive, engaged community of motivated peers and caring adults.
Program Support Team
Lucas Spielfogel
Laura Hawkes
A’Shonte Johnson
College Team
Chelsea Werner
Michelle Myers
Connor Gonzales
Jolanda Taylor
Learning Team
Leigh Phillips
Dani Klein
Kayla Stansbury
Steven Olsen
Community Team
Josh Howard
Bree Spielfogel
Board Members
Lisa Adamek
- Lisa’s term on the board began 4/18 and shall continue until April 2021.
Nigel Fontenot
- Associate, Jones Walker LLP
- Nigel’s term on the board began 5/19 and shall continue until May 2022.
Kevin Knobloch, Treasurer
- Managing Director – Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors
- Kevin’s term on the board began 9/17 and shall continue until September 2020.
Sarah Kracke, Interim Chair
- Owner & President, Kracke Consulting
- Sarah’s term on the board began 10/15 and shall continue until October 2020.
Mikki Ceasar Mathews
- Treasury Sales Officer, JP Morgan Chase
- Mikki’s term on the board began 5/19 and shall continue until May 2022.
Chaunda Allen Mitchell, PhD
- Executive Director, Diversity and Inclusion / Director of Drug Policy, Office of Governor John Bel Edwards
- Chaunda’s term on the board began 5/19 and shall continue until May 2022.
Jay Noland
- Owner, Noland Development, LLC
- Jay’s term on the board began 2/16 and shall continue until February 2022.
Zaheer Poptani
- Financial Advisor and Chief Compliance Officer, Dent Asset Management
- Zaheer’s term on the board began 11/18 and shall continue until November 2021.
Linda Orlansky Posner
- Linda’s term on the board began 4/18 and shall continue until April 2021.