Bottom Line

“I choose Bottom Line because they make it happen. They practice what they preach – you can see it. They tell you they can help, and they do it, and they’re honest. They make things work with very little. It’s an organization that backs up what they say, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.”

Rich Pierre joined Bottom Line when he was a teenager attending Boston Latin Academy.

Going into senior year, I was mainly focused on athletics — football and basketball. Sports were my passion, and I didn’t consider college until a BLA classmate mentioned that she knew someone who had worked with Bottom Line and had positive results. I explored Bottom Line because of her suggestion, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

At Bottom Line, I found a vibrant community of advisors, peers, and mentors who all wanted me to find success. While my parents were invested in seeing me do well, going to college had never been pushed very much. It was at Bottom Line that I realized the importance of a college degree, and what that could mean for my future.

My advisor, Sarah Place, was the catalyst to encourage me to look at some schools. Sarah was willing to work around my busy athletics schedule and made sure I had no excuses as I weighed my options.

“Rich struggled with finding the time to work on applications during the fall. He was playing on his high school’s football team, so he had practice almost every day and even had games on Saturdays, so it was difficult to meet in person. We did some work by phone and email and then when football season was over he came in almost every week for six weeks until he finished all his applications,” said Place.

Sarah’s motivational phone calls helped alleviate my concerns and kept me accountable. Her patience helped draw my college essay out of me – teaching me how to express myself. Her mentorship and guidance through all aspects of the application process allowed me to apply feeling confident.

When he got his acceptance letters and financial aid awards, he concluded that he wanted to go to Bentley, but the cost was a little restrictive. His parents wanted him to consider UMass Lowell because he would have had almost a $0 balance, but he was determined to make Bentley work.

“He applied to dozens of scholarships. Fortunately, that year Bottom Line was managing a scholarship through the Hayden Foundation, and we nominated him for a $4,000 scholarship which made Bentley possible for him to afford. He never lost sight of his goals, and his determination paid off,” said Place.

Rich continued working with Bottom Line throughout his college journey.

The mentorship and guidance I found from my advisors were integral. I knew that Bottom Line would always have my back. One of the supports that stuck out most was the open phone line that Bottom Line had. I could call the office, and talk to someone – anyone – and they were willing and ready to answer my questions.

Bottom Line also supported me as I applied for a scholarship to study abroad in Barcelona, a life-changing experience. I hadn’t traveled over the Atlantic ocean at that point, but the challenge I found as I learned about new cultures and people took me out of my comfort zone and taught me that I could push myself further than I had ever known.

While in college Bottom Line helped Rich work in five different internships – giving him valuable career experience that he could use to his benefit upon graduation. Rich worked in a few different roles right out of college, and his career path led him to attend grad school at Bentley. He now works for PAREXEL International as a Senior Analyst.

When I was younger, I thought I was going to be in the NFL or NBA. In the neighborhood I grew up in, you’re taught that athletics or rapping were the way to get out. Bottom Line smacked me in the face with reality. This may not be the career path I expected, but I am grateful for where I am today.

Rich continued to choose Bottom Line after he graduated, becoming a Go Far volunteer, a Board of Visitors member, and now a Regional Board member. 

I continue to choose Bottom Line to this day because I want to show students and future board members that the Bottom Line model works. Sometimes students don’t want to listen to their advisors, but I hope that sharing my story will motivate students to find the same success I have. Bottom Line has confidently gotten me to achieve what they told me I would. It’s not a lie. I want to share that story.

I choose Bottom Line because they make it happen. They practice what they preach – you can see it. They tell you they can help, and they do it, and they’re honest. They make things work with very little. It’s an organization that backs up what they say, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.