For the past few years, HBM has proudly supported College Bound, a non-profit whose mission is to empower promising students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in the greater St. Louis area to achieve bachelor’s degrees and fulfilling careers.
Each June, College Bound holds its annual celebration, the Cap & Gown Ball, at Union Station in St. Louis. Several hundred local supporters, including family members, donors, corporate sponsors and community leaders, attend the celebration to support these rising stars. The ball is purposely timed with the students’ high school graduations to showcase their achievement and celebrate them as they prepare for their college journey.
Several College Bound graduates were recognized at this year’s Cap & Gown Ball. Each graduate went through College Bound’s program, some starting as early as the seventh grade, and are now embarking on the next stage of their life – college. This year, College Bound raised nearly $800,000 at their annual Cap & Gown Ball. The funds raised will be used to offer college readiness programs to children and their families so that they can prepare for educational journey.
Amy Fields, HBM’s VP and Chief Human Resources Officer, was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2016. “I was humbled to be offered a Board seat for College Bound,” said Amy. “I was looking for a way to give back to the community in the area of education or employment for disadvantaged women. At the time, College Bound was in need of forming a Board-level Human Resources Committee as part of their strategic plan to develop talent and retain and attract top people to the organization. The opportunity was a perfect fit, not only because of my professional experience, but more importantly, it fulfilled my passion of improving the quality of public education as a means to break the cycle of poverty,” continued Amy.
To learn more about College Bound and how you can support their mission, visit their website or contact Jenny Weber at jenny@collegeboundstl.org.
