Throwback Thursday: Scenes from the 'We Are College Bound' Gala

BOSTON, MA - Local nonprofit College Bound Dorchester held its annual "We Are College Bound" gala last week at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

In a night that celebrated the triumphs of College Bound's students, board members, staff and contributors, the ceremony saw not only speeches from its CEO and members of the board, but also emotional accounts from those whose lives the nonprofit had forever changed.

Based in the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester, College Bound targets the most at-risk youth - dropouts, gang members and those with criminal records - and helps them enroll in community colleges.

The aim of the nonprofit is to break the cycle of poverty and violence by giving those most impacted the opportunity to earn associates degrees, make a living wage and positively influence the community around them.

• See also: Brookline Resident Backs Dorchester Nonprofit

The gala concluded with an auction-style fundraiser, where members of the audience held up paddles to pledge money to College Bound Dorchester.

Here's a look at some scenes from the ceremony:

• College Bound Dorchester CEO Mark Culliton addressing the audience

Following an introduction from Sean Curran, chairman of College Bound Dorchester's Board of Directors, College Bound CEO Mark Culliton asked the audience to close their eyes and envision an inner-city neighborhood. He described the rumbling of the city, the screeching of sirens and the sound of gunshots - describing the noises as "constrictive."

"It's our students that are causing that disruption, but it's our students who can change that," he said, echoing the non-profit's mission of reaching out to the hardest hit members of society. With some "dogged determination," he said, his organization will work to change the community.

"We will be here, we will stay here and we will not give up," Culliton said at the conclusion of his speech, which was met with raucous applause.

• (L to R) : College Bound Dorchester College Readiness Adviser Luis Rodrigues, Student Speaker Karefi Hillery

Rodrigues, the nonprofit's College Readiness Adviser, said he renounced his life of crime in 2008 after being shot 10 times point blank and spending two weeks in a coma. He said many of his students are initially drawn to him because of his past, but he quickly reminds them that it's not the future he wants for them.

"I'm the guy who tells them, 'No it's not cool to go grab that gun right now,'" Rodrigues told Patch. "The way I look at it is it's like you're a baby crawling, and when I'm done with you, you're going to be running."

Hillery, one of College Bound's students, was arrested after police found a gun in his car during a traffic stop. As he was awaiting trial, he learned he was about to be a father.

"I realized you can do better than a nine-to-five," Hillery said. "I don't want to have to work hard and struggle my whole life. I want my son to have what I didn't have."

• (L to R): Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce President and CEO James Rooney, College Bound Dorchester CEO Mark Culliton. Rooney received the College Bound Dorchester Champion of the Year Award from the organization.

In his speech, Rooney spoke about the contrast between the image of a "booming Boston" and the reality for several of its residents.

"The 'booming Boston' does not tell the story of the whole city," Rooney said. "There are fewer opportunities now for those without high school and college diplomas."

He concluded his speech by extending his gratitude to everyone involved in College Bound Dorchester.

"Thank you for your willingness to be part of the solution," he said.

• Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins urging the audience to donate. The event raised $400,000.

Tompkins emceed the night's contribution auction. Before taking the might and asking the audience to donate, he lamented the number of people currently serving time in prison.

"I see far too many of our young folk incarcerated," Tompkins said. "The system is broken, the American Dream is challenged and we can't have that as a nation."

Tompkins is not the only law enforcement officer to back College Bound Dorchester; the nonprofit has also instituted a program in the South Bay House of Correction.

All photos courtesy of Adam Kane Macchia