Brotherhood Initiative 2023-2024 Impact Report

Letter from the Director

Dear Brotherhood Initiative Supporters,

2023-2024 was another year of innovation and excellence for the Brotherhood Initiative. As we welcomed our seventh cohort of scholars to UW in Fall 2023, we knew we wanted to continue expanding and growing our offerings – and one way we did that was through an international research trip with our scholars. This summer we led a group of students in the Brotherhood Initiative and the Sisterhood Initiative to London to research and engage in best practices for civil discourse at Hyde Park. Hyde Park is the oldest living free speech platform in the world.

Our students have carried this experience into the academic year, launching an undergraduate research project that they plan to present to campus this Spring through UW’s undergraduate research program. These experiential opportunities are part of the Brotherhood Initiative’s holistic theory of action: high impact practices — in partnership with traditional coursework — play a critical role in helping students from historically underserved communities achieve positive academic and career outcomes.   

As we think about the future of the Brotherhood Initiative, we want to continue to be forward-thinking, to ensure the success of our scholars and alumni for decades ahead. In partnership with the UW Sisterhood Initiative, I am excited to announce our Campaign for Expansion. Through the Campaign we will grow our learning communities and research agenda, creating meaningful change for historically underserved students across the country. As close friends and supporters, you will be hearing more about this campaign in the months ahead.  

Your support makes this work possible. Thank you.  

Dr. Joe Lott

Faculty Director, UW Brotherhood Initiative  

During the 2023-2024 academic year…

159

students participated as BI scholars

57%

of BI students were low-income

69%

of BI students were first-generation college students

Impact in Action

Welcome Cohort 7!

We kicked off the year with our Brotherhood Initiative retreat and orientation, to welcome our newest cohort to the University of Washington and the Brotherhood Initiative community.  

Husky 100

We’re thrilled to highlight that four Brotherhood Initiative (BI) students were recognized on the prestigious Husky 100 list in 2024! The Husky 100 celebrates University of Washington students who have `demonstrated exceptional leadership and impact through their work and experiences.’   

Juan Pablo Lopez Garcia

Cohort 4 – Informatics – graduated ‘24. Juan is passionate about the intersections of public health and informatics, with the aspiration to develop inclusive health technologies that promote health equity among marginalized communities worldwide. 

Aarun Hendrickson

Cohort 4 – Neuroscience & Bioethics – graduated ‘24: The Brotherhood Initiative and the UW opened Aarun’s eyes to the foundational issues students of color face in research settings, so he worked with the Brotherhood Initiative to create Brothers in Research, a year-long course  to support BI students in pursuing and thriving in undergraduate research opportunities. Aarun plans to pursue a PhD to continue his research in age-related changes in the brain’s extracellular matrix. 

Thomas Emnetu

Cohort 5 – Informatics – anticipated graduation 2025.  Thomas is a first-generation Eritrean-American student at the UW and founded the Black in Informatics (BINFO) program, so that Black Informatics majors could benefit from the community of practice he participated in through the Brotherhood Initiative.  He hopes to continue integrating his strong sense of community with his expertise in human-computer interaction to create a positive impact.  

Javon Hickmon

Cohort 5 – Computer Science – graduated ‘24 – Poulsbo, WA. Javon hopes to leverage his experiences in research, teaching and leadership to further social justice by addressing the biases present in machine learning. In his Husky 100 bio, Javon shares, “I deeply understand how my work will impact society because I have experienced the issues low diversity can create.” 

Juan, Aaron, Thomas and Javon are already stellar leaders on campus and we’re eager to see them thrive and create change in our community!  Their journey is a testament to the profound impact of the Brotherhood Initiative in shaping leaders committed to making a difference. Through the Brotherhood Initiative, all of our scholars are harnessing their dedication to social action as they think about their careers after graduation. 

Sisterhood Initiative Collaborations  

The Sisterhood Initiative welcomed their second cohort in Fall 2023, which has created more opportunities for us to partner together to extend our impact and increase the community and sense of belonging for all the scholars we serve. Our partnership has taken many shapes this year:  

Joint cohort classes: We brought together Brotherhood Initiative and Sisterhood Initiative scholars each quarter to discuss universal subjects like financial literacy and career preparation.   

Summer 2023 – Rome Study Abroad: Brotherhood Initiative and Sisterhood Initiative students studied abroad in Rome together, which brought new global perspectives to our studies and activities throughout 2023-2024.  

Summer 2024 – Exploring Civil Discourse in London: In July, Brotherhood Initiative and Sisterhood Initiative students traveled to London to initiate a year-long research project exploring how students and community members at the University of Washington can engage in civil discourse more productively. This work will continue into the 2024-25 academic year.   

Research Impact

We have continued to pursue research to ensure students from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds — including men of color — benefit from the work of the Brotherhood Initiative.  

Our Practitioner Briefs, which we publish on our website and share at conferences and within research networks, are a critical way our work is disseminated beyond the University of Washington. The nine practitioner briefs summarize our research and how our findings can be adapted and applied beyond UW to other higher education contexts. The first brief covers our theory of action model, and each subsequent brief provides an in-depth look at each component of our theory of action. We have received positive feedback from practitioners and student affairs leaders across the country, most recently at the 2024 Annual Conference for NASPA, the national association for student affairs research and practice.  

Our research was also included in “Academic Belonging in Higher Education: Fostering Student Connection, Competence, and Confidence,” a book highlighting scholarship on the importance of belonging and the opportunities for faculty and academic leaders to develop pedagogies, programs, strategies and environments to ensure students experience academic belonging. In our chapter, Building Community for Men of Color Through Sense of Belonging, we describe how our theory of action informs the design of our seminar curricula as well as our pedagogy in ways that cultivate and expand belonging for our scholars, leading to academic success. 

Impact in Numbers

Retention

In 2023-2024 we had a 100% retention rate for our first-year students. For scholars in their fourth year at UW, 97% were either still enrolled or had graduated.  

Graduation

6-Yr Graduation Rates: Comparison to National Average

The Brotherhood Initiative has an 85% six-year graduation rate, which is 15% higher than the national average for males at public 4-year institutions.

In the News

American Family Insurance: Better understanding student innovation and civic engagement | The Institute (amfaminstitute.com) 

Study Abroad/Global Affairs spotlight: Study Abroad at the UW is a High-Impact Practice – Office of Global Affairs (washington.edu) 

Alumni Spotlight

Ja’Nathen White

Ja’Nathen White’s, ‘24, journey through higher education is nothing short of inspiring, marked by resilience and transformation. Growing up in South Seattle and attending Rainier Beach High School, Ja’Nathen navigated challenges but drew strength and resilience from his community. Motivated by a powerful goal, he set out to not only attend college but also become the first in his mother’s family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Starting at the University of Washington (UW) as a first-generation college student, Ja’Nathen was intimidated by the unfamiliar environment. In his early classes, surrounded by peers equipped with laptops while he had only a notepad, he grappled with feelings of inadequacy. “I felt like I didn’t belong there,” he recalls, describing the imposter syndrome that many first-generation students face. 

The tide began to turn for Ja’Nathen through his involvement with the Brotherhood Initiative (BI). This program wasn’t just a support network; it became a lifeline and a source of belonging. “I learned I didn’t need to be happy just to be at UW. I should be happy that they have me. It’s about knowing that I belong here,” Ja’Nathen reflects. This deep sense of belonging was crucial in helping him overcome the self-doubt that he had been feeling. 

Mentorship played a pivotal role in Ja’Nathen’s transformation. Paul Metellus, the assistant director for student success at BI, and the camaraderie of fellow BI members provided unwavering support. “Paul was instrumental in keeping me grounded and focused. Whenever I faced setbacks, he was always there to guide me,” Ja’Nathen says. This mentorship went beyond academic advice, nurturing personal growth and resilience. 

Ja’Nathen’s academic path shifted dramatically from an initial interest in engineering to a burgeoning passion for law. A pivotal moment came when an introductory law course and his involvement in the BI’s Positive Social Change course sparked his interest in systemic issues. “I wanted to tackle problems like the school-to-prison pipeline, which affects my community. The BI taught me that sometimes you have to start at a foundational level before tackling bigger goals,” he notes. 

As Ja’Nathen prepares to start Seattle University Law School in the fall of 2025, his journey exemplifies the significant impact of the Brotherhood Initiative. His experience highlights how dedicated support, and mentorship can convert challenges into opportunities and aspirations into achievements.