In an effort to honor
African-American alumni from each of the nine schools affiliated with the
America East, the conference is putting together a nine-part video series
featuring one prominent African-American alumni from each school. This video
series highlights the great history and success that African-American graduates
from America East schools have had and also displays the variety of different
jobs and backgrounds that these alumni have made an impact on after graduation.
Following an outstanding basketball career at the University
of New Hampshire, as well as professionally overseas, Project RISE (Respect,
Integrity, and Success Through Education) founder Rob Dixon has dedicated his
life to helping at-risk African-American males in the Boston community. Since
Project RISE began in 1993, the educational nonprofit has seen 96 percent of
its members graduate from high school and more than 182 members attend a
four-year college.
The work by Dixon and Project RISE has been acclaimed on the
national level, including being selected by Major League Baseball to be
featured in the All-Stars Among Us campaign. This opportunity allowed Dixon to
meet President Obama, President Bush, President Clinton and President Carter in
front of a worldwide audience. In the same year, Dixon was also selected by the
American Speakers Bureau to guest lecture across the country.
With his work in the local community, Dixon is an excellent
mentor for any student-athlete that is looking to have a significant impact on
the lives of young kids. With his disciplined but effective approach with
Project RISE, Dixon has made a life-long impression on numerous at-risk children
throughout the Boston area.