Boys Hope Girls Hope International Board member Louis Carr, along with a distinguished group of his colleagues in the entertainment and fashion industries, has selected Jenifer Briones, an alumna of our Arizona affiliate, as the winner of the Boys Hope Girls Hope Louis Carr Legacy Crest Design Contest!
Carr, the President of Media Sales for BET (Black Entertainment Television), Author of Dirty Little Secrets and Motivational Speaker, hosted the contest as an opportunity to engage participants in the program to tap into their creativity to build community and celebrating their connection as scholars, collegians, and alumni.
The contest, open to all scholars, collegians, and alumni, encouraged original crest designs that served as a dynamic representation of the BHGH mission, values, and experience. The crest will be placed on BHGH signature apparel and serve as a unifying symbol heralding the achievement of our scholar community, representing the legacy of Boys Hope Girls Hope, and signifying the hard work, personal sacrifice and commitment of each scholar who is determined to reach his/her full potential.
Jenifer, the contest winner, is a May 2018 graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a B.A in Film and Digital Media. After studying abroad in Rome and being involved with organizations that serve refugees, Jenifer plans to use her experiences in her future work. She hopes to work in Communications and Media, and apply her knowledge of the refugee reality, but also advocate for immigrants in the United States. In the future, she hopes to become a director and make both narrative and documentary films.
Jenifer’s design was “…inspired primarily by the commitment to excellence that BHGH has consistently shown to myself and other scholars.” Jenifer collaborated with mentor and friend Emmett Orr to get feedback on her designs, and says, “I believe it is powerful for me to use my community to create something for the larger BHGH community.”
As the winner of the Boys Hope Girls Hope Louis Carr Legacy Crest Design Contest, Jenifer will receive $1,000, underwritten by Louis Carr and BET. Carr is also working with clothing vendors to supply crested blazers to each of the recent high school graduates at Boys Hope Girls Hope International’s “Be the Change: Collegiate Prep 2018,” this summer’s annual college-preparatory week in St. Louis.
“These blazers will enhance the confidence and professionalism of our collegians as they encounter career-oriented opportunities such as internship interviews, student development conferences, and even on-campus activities like in-class presentations and formal events that call for a polished look,” says LaShone M. Gibson, Boys Hope Girls Hope International Senior Director of University Partnerships & Academic Excellence. “We are very grateful to Louis Carr for working with us to ensure our collegians have this important wardrobe staple.”
44 entries were received from scholars, collegians and alumni representing 11 of our affiliates (Arizona, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Colorado, Detroit, Guatemala, Illinois, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis)! Thank you to all of the talented designers who entered!