December 2018
Dear Alumni, Donors and Friends of MinneapolisNEXT,
MinneapolisNEXT. 20 years. The no-overhead non-profit. One Mission. Developing the NEXT generation of leaders from our urban community. 250 NEXT high school scholars have graduated and moved on to college and beyond. NEXT has successfully invested two million dollars in our community since 1998.
It all started at a simple breakfast in a South Minneapolis cafe. The assembled friends were incredibly impressed with the story of an 8th grader, a determined bench warmer and earnest student who wanted a step up in life. MinneapolisNEXT was formed on a napkin. We were going to find a path for this “falling through the cracks kid” to experience a college prep education. We somehow recognized from that first moment that we would assist many more kids. The breakfast was an inflection point. There are moments in our lives when it’s all-or-nothing time. When we have to stop hedging our bets. When we have to speak firmly, act clearly—and execute.
What did we recognize that morning over coffee? Simply put, eager to learn children born into lower income families deserve first-rate educational opportunities, and it’s a struggle for many families to provide them.
Our first scholarship student in 1998 is a representation of most of the kids that have followed. The Minneapolis public school he would have attended looked “integrated” on paper, yet sent white children to the Advanced Placement and honors classes on the beautiful, bright top floor, and black and brown children to the floors below.
The MinneapolisNEXT solution in 1998 remains the same in 2018. NEXT is partnered with two traditional and just plain resolute Catholic high schools in inner city Minneapolis and St. Paul; DeLaSalle and St. Agnes. For our NEXT scholars, these schools have time and time again been their best option. Students are provided with an environment filled with support and encouragement. These powerful incentives nurture kids, who come to believe they can succeed.
NEXT has had students and alums of almost every imaginable race, religion and creed walk through those old-time school doors. It is affordable, with no frills. The results speak for themselves; NEXT scholars have matriculated to the University of Minnesota, St Olaf College, Harvard, United States Naval Academy, United States Marine Corps, Iowa State University, Stanford, and Dunwoody, to name a few.
In the attached profile, we are highlighting a NEXT alum. He was one of the earliest recipients of a scholarship, and a new member of the MinneapolisNEXT board of directors: Abraham Woldeslassie, a young man who exemplifies the NEXT ethos. Abe’s father and late mother came to America as refugees from Eritrea. Abe’s drive mirrors many of the young men and women of MinneapolisNEXT. 2018 Interview of Abraham Woldeslassie (PDF) →
The kids are the heroes, but today, on their behalf, I am calling on you to step up and make a difference: we can all lead from the bench. This school year, NEXT is committed to 60 high school scholarships in our inner city, for approximately $100,000. We need your help to fund these inspired kids’ ambitions!
We hope we can count on your support in our 2018 fundraising drive. Contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated. By investing in youth today, you can obtain a return on your investment for many tomorrows.
Best wishes to you and yours this holiday season,
Stephen R. Schaefer
Director, MinneapolisNEXT