Welcoming New Kearns Center Pre-College Team Member, Ben Godfrey

The David T. Kearns Center is pleased to welcome a new member to the pre-college programs team. Ben Godfrey started at the end of November as an academic advisor and is working primarily with high school students at East High School in the Rochester City School District (RCSD). Director of the Kearns Center Dr. Miguel Baique is excited to welcome Godfrey to the team. “Ben brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in youth and community outreach and engagement programs and services that will benefit the pre-college division in the Kearns Center. Having only been in the role for a short period of time, I already see how he is acclimating to the team, his post at East High School, and his work with the TRIO Educational Talent Search (ETS) program.”

Godfrey comes to Rochester from Cambridge, Massachusetts where he previously served as youth center program director. As part of his role, he led a program that supported the needs of kids ages 9-14. During his time there Godfrey was able to help the youth advocate for a project as part of the Cambridge Participatory Budget. The project allowed anyone in the city to submit public improvement ideas. “After a lot of campaigning and a final vote, the project was selected!! It definitely took a lot of organization, but the center was absolutely transformed with the additional $80,000 in funding,” Godfrey explained. He credits that experience and others like it with allowing him to be so creative in his approach to education.

Godfrey has always loved working with young people, something he’s known since he was an undergraduate at University of Wisconsin, Madison. So, getting the opportunity to work with young people here in Rochester, and working somewhere that is so grounded in the community, are just some of the reasons he says he was drawn to the position with the Kearns Center. “I’m still relatively new in the role But I’m absolutely loving it. I feel incredibly grateful I get to work with students who are not only motivated but who have dreams and aspirations and are willing to share those with an adult that they just met. [That is] something I find really brave.”

The three federal TRIO programs run by the Kearns pre-college team are designed to help first-generation and low-income students complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education. Godfrey says he appreciates getting to visit the different school sites and work directly with the students. “The privilege of getting to help them do things like write their personal statement and find out what makes them tick and where they see themselves in the future, is something that I feel really lucky that I have the chance to do.”

Godfrey is a Wisconsin native and after spending many years in the Boston area, now calls the city of Rochester home. “In some ways I feel like I am returning to a familiar community.” Godfrey says there are so many things about Rochester that remind him of his hometown. “I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in a lot of ways Rochester is a better reflection of that community than the Boston area, not just in the way people act but even the geography of the city, so in some ways it feels like I’m returning home.”

Godfrey is not only excited to work with high school students and live in Rochester but is also excited to be a member of the Kearns Center team. “Everyone [who works at the center] has that same drive - that same passion - and it just is so evident from the moment you walk into the center the love the people have for the young people they support. They are willing to stop at nothing to make sure that young people have that support they need to chase their dreams, no matter how big their dreams are.”

Kearns Center Expanded in 2023, Hiring Five New Employees

Godfrey isn’t the only new hire the Kearns Center has brought on this year. In 2023, the center expanded with the addition of several other new staff members. Back in March the center welcomed Dr. Miguel Baique, who was appointed as the Director of the Kearns Center. In May, Alexa Olson was brought on as Communications Manager, a newly created position. And over the summer both Samantha Branch and Kwamaine Much joined the team, Branch as the newest REU Coordinator and Much as an Academic Advisor on the pre-college team. Baique says this growth indicates the significance of the work the center does and the institution’s commitment to the Kearns Center’s mission, transforming lives through educational opportunity. “Growing the Kearns Center staff translates to providing services to more students, as well as new skills, talents, and ideas from new (and current) staff that will allow the Kearns Center to evolve our current services and develop new success interventions. Though this is significant growth for the Center, I anticipate additional growth in the future.” 

Collectively the Kearns Center team has decades of knowledge and experience under their belts and is looking to expand that even further. In 2024 the center is poised to enter a new chapter with 5 open positions, some of which are newly created. “I am extremely excited to add more members to the Kearns Center. Not only will our students benefit from new staff, but our current staff will also benefit from new staff as we trade ideas, knowledge, and motivation. Additionally, new staff will also allow us to develop deeper partnerships and collaborative opportunities with university-wide colleagues and resources that will allow us to better serve students,” says Baique.  

Are you interested in joining the Kearns Center team? Take a look at our open positions by visiting the UR Career website and using the keyword Kearns Center. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply!