Broadening Horizons

Throughout 2022, Son of a Saint seized the opportunity to both enhance and diversify its programming offerings and introduce brand-new opportunities and experiences to mentees. This progression was made possible thanks to the community of supporters, advisors, partners, and friends that surround and uplift our organization.

ACT Prep and College Recruitment Nights

Throughout 2022, Son of a Saint remained intentional about setting up its upperclassmen mentees up for success. Mentees participated in ACT preparation courses led by our partners with ACT Qualified, and also attended College Night engagements inside the rooftop lounge space of our headquarters. The college recruitment events featured informative presentations from a number of higher education institutions, including University of New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana Tech University, Dillard University, Tulane, LSU, Delgado, Southern Miss.

Chop

Under the leadership of our organization’s Emeril Lagasse Foundation-Son of a Saint Nutrition Education Specialist Nikki Martens, MA, NTP, our mentees and mentors expanded their knowledge of kitchen skills and culinary teachings through participation in our weekly CHOP learning series. CHOP is an acronym that stands for “Cooking up Healthy Options and Portions.” The topics of the courses ranged from improving eating habits, to examining nutrition facts, to participating in hands-on cooking demonstrations from local restaurant partners and notable special guest chefs.

Domestic and International Travel - Washington D.C., New York City, and Ghana, Africa

Travel is an important part of the exposure component of our holistic program to support fatherless boys. It creates a “spark” that can cause our young mentees to envision something new and exciting for their future. In 2022, Son of a Saint was thrilled to restart a highly-anticipated facet of our program. Throughout the summer months, several mentees seized the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and later another group journeyed to New York City. With each adventure, our boys immersed themselves in new cultural experiences, college exploration and exciting company visits with our program’s dedicated and diverse national partners and supporters.

By November 2022, Son of a Saint was able to reengage with Global Learning Adventures to send 20 of its mentees to Ghana, Africa. These young men were able to experience an incredible adventure and gain invaluable life experiences along the way. The mentees immersed themselves in Ghana’s vibrant culture, interacted with local leaders, and learned about the history and traditions of the country over the course of an 11-day trip.

Gemology

Our mentees engaged in a dynamic gemology course with our partners from international jeweler Diamonds Direct. This unique, educational experience included a four-session learning series, with our participating mentees discovering and then further expanding their gemology knowledge over the course of the partnership.

STEM in Sailing with Community Sailing New Orleans

By partnering with Community Sailing New Orleans, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering connections between the community and sailing and maritime activities in Lake Ponchartrain, our mentees are able to take part in the “Son of a Saint STEM in Sailing” program, where they engage in a diverse range of experiences, including boat racing, acquiring fundamental skills, specialized summer camp opportunities, and much more.

Receiving Game with Marques Colston

Son of a Saint Ambassador and Board of Directors member Marques Colston partnered with our team to create a niche programming activation called “Receiving Game.” The six-part series offered a specific curriculum to Son of a Saint’s student-athlete mentees. Within each interactive session, participants share dialogue and discourse surrounding a range of life skills and career development perspectives, curated and led by Marques based on his real-life experience.