On September 15, Fulcrum held an event at Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School to celebrate the accomplishments of the Becraft Scholars Program as it enters its third year. Quentin Orem, executive director of the Richard and Maude Ferry Foundation, spoke to Fulcrum supporters about the innovative program that Fulcrum and the Ferry Family Charitable Foundation founded together in 2020.
Becraft Scholars is a relationship-centered, equity-focused scholarship program that provides a pathway of access to Catholic education while partnering with archdiocesan schools to foster a culture of belonging with a focus on Black American students and families.
Read Quentin’s speech here:
“On behalf of Richard Ferry, Bob and Julie Breshock, and the Fulcrum Foundation, we are delighted to welcome you to ‘More than a Moment.’ Thank you so much for being here.
Tonight, we are celebrating Becraft Scholars, a transformative program run by Fulcrum Foundation and led by the inimitable Alana Bell.
And before we begin, I want to say a special thanks to principal Larkin Temme, Father Jose, and the Holy Family Bilingual community for hosting us. We are delighted to be in this space because Holy Family Bilingual was a founding partner to Becraft Scholars.
There’s a story from Jesus’ life where he walks up a mountain with Peter, James, and John. All of a sudden, he is transfigured, he begins to shine like the sun, and the disciples see him for who he truly is. It’s a glorious moment of clarity.
They want to stay up there, but Jesus nudges them back down the mountain. The challenge he gives the disciples is to remain faithful to that moment of clarity even as they leave it behind.
Well, in the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, our country experienced a transfiguration moment, a brief period where we saw our systems and our neighbor in a different and better light. It was a national moment of clarity.
Becraft Scholars was founded that summer with the mission of letting that moment make a permanent impact on our schools and on our Church. We wanted to make a response that lasts more than the moment.
Because when the world moves on to the next shiny object, we want to be a people who stay faithful to what we saw in that season of transfiguration. By being here, you’re showing that fidelity.
Tonight, we will be hearing from a few speakers and seeing a video of Becraft Scholars in action. We hope you will walk away inspired to get behind the mission of this program.”