Berkeley Scholars' Core Principles

Dear Scholar Family,

Last year, one of the biggest mysteries of the program was figuring out how to identify the "essence" of the Berkeley Scholars (BSC) model. In other words, what type of disposition do we want the scholars to have once they graduate high school and enter college? What qualities do we want them to use as "weapons" against any obstacles they face inside (academic) or outside (life in general) the classroom?

After thinking long and hard about these questions, and taking a closer look at what it takes to excel at a top university, Lee, Carol, and I agreed that the answers to these questions could be summarized using four principles: Integrity, Maturity, Proactivity, and Humility. Below is a brief description of how each principle applies to the BSC model.

Integrity. To be a person of integrity is to be a person of your word. Therefore, it is important for scholars to follow through on their verbal and written commitments (e.g., as they pertain to schoolwork, studying, ASP and SA attendance, and so forth). In the event the scholar cannot follow through on something, we expect them to communicate with a staff member (e.g., mentor, coordinator, etc.) and let someone know.

Maturity. This principles was best summed up with Denzel's line in "The Great Debaters." Basically, scholars are expected to do what they have to do before they do what they want to do. It's weird, I've found that getting my schoolwork out of the way actually makes my "chill time" that much enjoyable!

Proactivity. To be successful in anything, scholars are going to have to be proactive with regards to seeking out help if they need it, and resources to help them navigate high school, college, and life in general. In addition, scholars are going to have to be "go-getters" with regards to making sure they achieve any personal, academic, and professional goals they set for themselves. One of the things we as a staff are becoming increasingly more concerned about is making sure we balance the amount of support and advocacy we give the scholars with encouraging them to advocate for themselves. We want the scholars to appreciate the support and advocacy they receive from their parents and BSC, without solely depending on it. Put another way, we want scholars to use the power and "know-how" they already have.

Humility. This principle really speaks to the type of impact we want BSC to have on a local and national level. We want scholars to realize that no one succeeds purely on their own. Everyone receives some kind of help and encouragement along the way. Therefore, we want the scholars to use their brilliance and the things they learn from their parents and through BSC in the service of others. Although there are only 21 scholars in the program, the goal of BSC is to show all youth who may think otherwise that it's cool to be a scholar and to handle your business in school. It's cool to be a person of positive influence amongst your peers.

Lastly, I want to emphasize that we as a staff know that how well BSC is able to help the scholars cultivate these principles depends on how well we as a staff embody them ourselves. Therefore this is not a "one-sided" thing, so to speak. We are holding our staff accountable to each of these principles as well.

So here are BSC's core principles moving forward. We are looking forward to seeing these principles manifest themselves in amazing ways, and for BSC to continue to soar to new heights! Thank you for your love and support during this process.