November has been fruitful and brought many exciting updates! HGB’s programs are nearing the end of the year, but have not slowed in achievement and progress. 

In our Empowering Youth vertical, our BridgeUP+OUT program in the Bronx is winding down in its first semester, with the Class of 2023 Scholars getting their college applications submitted to their desired institutions. To commemorate their engagement with the program since 9th grade, and to ceremoniously usher them into their 4th and final year as BridgeUP Scholars, they hosted a Senior Step-UP event. Staff surprised the Seniors by decorating the BridgeUP spaces with old Scholar photos and program memorabilia which offered them a retrospective look into their time at BridgeUP (as well as a good laugh!). 

This fall, BridgeUP also welcomed its newest group of Scholars – the Class of 2026! The 9th graders are adjusting to the new environment of high school and leaning on some of the older BridgeUP students for guidance and support. This is the first year the BridgeUP+OUT program has had all 4 grades participating at the same site, so it allows for the most amount of overlap and crossover between ages.

Our BridgeUP: GiddyUP horseback riding program in Memphis has embarked on some exciting field trips for the students partnering with the USA Working Equitation Association. Working Equitation, an equine sport, is a competition composed of 3 phases: the Dressage phase, the Ease of Handling phase, and the Speed phase.  The top 12 attendance students were invited to attend and spent the weekend learning and getting personal development experience. The lead clinician was a two time national champion in Working Equitation, and her teaching partner were both thrilled with the work done in the BridgeUP: Giddy Up program. McKrell Baier, the program director, is very excited about the cross-training exposure to this discipline that will allow the students to get a deeper understanding of their own sport disciplines of jumping & dressage. It was truly a perfect entrée into the larger world of horse sport for the students due to the friendly and accessible atmosphere of this emerging sport.

The students also participated in the first ever BridgeUP GiddyUP Annual Fall Spectacular, showcasing their equestrian skills in front of the public for the first time! The Spectacular took place at the Tunica Arena and Exposition Center, where students were able to show off to the audience the progression of becoming a classically trained equestrian. Leveraging the McKrell and Christian Baier’s Global Equestrian Curriculum, this allowed students to act as ambassadors to the horse sport worldwide by highlighting the beauty in learning the art of riding.

In our Empowering Women vertical, our BOLD Women’s Leadership Network Scholars are hard at work, partaking in various mentorship and volunteer opportunities, sharpening their skills as young professionals and academics. 

Jene, a BOLD WLN Fellow, andalum of Rutgers University-Newark, is currently working with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as a policy team member. She is preparing to take the LSAT exam and planning on applying to law school at the end of her fellowship. The HGB team is cheering Jene on in all of her future pursuits! At each campus, the Scholars have gotten exposure to different resources, such as speed mentoring events at Rutgers, a Washington D.C. retreat for the Scholars at The College of Saint Rose, and Scholar showcases at Ithaca where they shared their leadership journey through the projects they’ve worked on over the past year. Many of the Scholars at UConn also participated in a dissemination of the BOLD projects they worked on in their Senior year. Colby-Sawyer’s BOLD WLN program hosted an open house for their awarded Magic Grant project, a Career Closet For the Scholars and for the greater campus community, helping in identifying and preparing proper workplace attire. At Middlebury College, they have welcomed the junior members of cohort 7 to the BOLD family! One scholar from cohort 7, Rea Bell, is a Chinese major currently studying abroad in China, and is originally from Washington D.C. We are wishing Rea well on her adventures abroad!

Within our Empowering Innovation vertical, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has been a powerhouse in their dedication in striving towards the elimination of structural inequities and workplace biases that research shows tends to hold women back from career advancement in the industry . They stand behind promoting mentorship and support networks for women in science. The Helen Gurley Brown Presidential Initiative has a mission of preparing Helen Fellows to be the most ready and equipped for their important roles within the medical world. 

The two Helen trailblazers for this past year, both have made incredible strides in scientific research. One has completed a pilot of her cancer pain mobile health intervention and the other has focused on the treatment of pediatric acute leukemia. We are wishing both of them well in their trailblazing research endeavors!

And lastly, we gathered our Program Directors together for a virtual Thanksgiving potluck, selecting and attempting various recipes from Helen’s own cookbook, Single Girl’s Cookbook, from 1969. From “Go-to-bed spaghetti”, to “Stay-for-dinner chicken and broccoli”, our Directors and staff gave their best efforts to recreate some of Helen’s favorite dishes. We hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving and are gearing up for a wonderful holiday season ahead!