Alumni Prep

Alumni Prep supports Buffalo Prep graduates as they navigate their post-secondary journey and career placement. It provides access to career exploration and development services, leadership and enrichment workshops, scholarship assistance, social-emotional support, and networking and mentoring opportunities.

Buffalo Prep Alumni Council

The Buffalo Prep Alumni Council (BPAC) is an advisory council comprised of alumni from throughout Buffalo Prep’s history. The BPAC oversees and provides non-binding, strategic advice to the Board of Directors on matters relating to alumni relations and the networking and mentoring activities among alumni of Buffalo Prep. The purpose of the BPAC is to strengthen intergenerational relationships between Buffalo Prep alumni, provide a resource for networking, engage and leverage the capital from Buffalo Prep alumni, and lift the voices and experiences of Buffalo Prep alumni to help inform programming. From this work, Prep hopes to generate a tactical understanding of how to strengthen the connection between alumni and local young professionals of color to Buffalo’s business community. All alumni are welcome to join; please visit buffaloprep.com/alumni or reach out to alumniprep@buffaloprep.org for more information

2022-2023 Alumni Council Advisory Board

Matthew Becton ‘01 Chair

Eishawn Camp ‘96 Vice Chair

Sarah Washington ‘04 Recording Secretary

Monique Cooper ‘04 Corresponding Secretary

Francisco Guzman II ‘11 Treasurer

Deidre Batson-Griggs ‘99

Lysette Vazquez-Moore ‘13

“I choose to be a leader of the Alumni Council because I wanted to help bring alums together so that we can connect and network with one another as we embark and push forward in our professional careers. For me, it was also very important that we create an official alumni body so that current Prep scholars and recent graduates know and can see the vast alumni network of Buffalo Prep. I am looking forward to connecting with alumni who came before me and those who came after me. I am also looking forward to being a resource for current Prep scholars.”

Sarah Washington ‘04 Senior Attorney National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation

Buffalo Prep’s READI program is a series of workshops, trainings, and presentations to promote educational and racial equity throughout our community. Companies, schools, organizations, and peer and networking groups can work with Buffalo Prep to customize sessions to further their understanding of these issues and topics. If you are interested in attending a community READI or would like to set up a session for your organization, please contact Ashley Middleton at amiddleton@buffaloprep.org or visit buffaloprep.com/readi for more information.

READI Module Examples

• Changing vs. Fixing Systems

• Understanding White Privilege

• Economic Implications of Racial and Educational Inequity

“I really appreciate that you are doing this work and providing safe spaces for these important conversations!”

• Culture of White Supremacy

• Historical Aspects of Systemic Racism

• Challenging Implicit Biases

Since READI’s inception in 2020, over 1,000 individuals have participated in the workshops.

Youth Equity Academy (YEA!) is a civic engagement program for high school students who want to transcend racism and inequity. YEA! provides the opportunity for individual and collective reflection and potential action plans to strengthen and maintain an inclusive and equitable climate through a seven-month series of workshops.

Although any Buffalo Prep partner school student has the opportunity to participate in YEA!, the model encourages Prep scholars to invite a white ally to participate, who will then ask another white friend –expanding the dialogue to new spheres of influence. YEA! addresses critical topics at an age-appropriate level, with students completing a public awareness campaign at the end of the program.

• Having Critical Conversations

• Building Equitable Policies That Foster All Voices

• Microaggressions

“Even for someone who considered herself educated on this subject, my knowledge is woefully inadequate.”