Blog

Buffalo Prep was founded in 1989 by education and community leaders to help talented underrepresented students prepare for, obtain entrance into, and excel at demanding college preparatory high schools. Buffalo Prep has grown exponentially over the years and now serves hundreds of students and alumni each year with our unique pipeline of Prep Scholars Academy, Middle School Prep, High School Prep, College Prep, and Alumni Prep programs. Many students begin Buffalo Prep’s rigorous program in 5th grade and commit their summers, evenings, and weekends to prepare for higher achievement. 

Company Culture 

Buffalo Prep has a predominantly female employee base, with 70% identifying as such, including Buffalo Prep's President. The culture at Buffalo Prep encourages everyone, including staff and scholars, to strive to be their best and most authentic selves. As an organization, we believe that each one of us has the capability to be a leader for positive change.  

One example of how women are encouraged to reach their fullest potential is by investing in professional development. Buffalo Prep offers quarterly full-time staff retreats, which include topics such as generating our Vision Stand, a robust leadership development, and vision alignment exercise that helps individuals create and articulate their vision of what they intend to create as leaders.  

Community Engagement 

Approximately 60% of Buffalo Prep scholars identify as female. Buffalo Prep empowers its scholars as they strive toward their most vivid potential and become shining examples of what a powerful, more inclusive, and more equitable community should look like.  

Buffalo Prep offers mentorship, clubs, and affinity groups to promote leadership development within its scholar community. Additionally, Buffalo Prep offers career exposure and exploration, financial literacy workshops, resume building, and other experiential learning opportunities to promote success as defined by each scholar.  

The leadership team at Buffalo Prep is encouraged to engage in the larger community and the organization supports the time needed to do so. The female leadership team at Buffalo Prep volunteers their personal time with Fifty Fabulous Women Giving Circle, Kevin Guest House, Next Generation United, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Girls on the Run Buffalo, Hispanic Women’s League, Karen Lee Spaulding Oishei Fellowship for Leaders of Color, Leadership Buffalo, the Buffalo Prep Alumni Council, and more!    

Leadership 

Buffalo Prep has 14 administrative members on staff. Of the 14, 64% identify as female, 29% as male, and 7% as non-binary. Females hold the following positions on this team: President, Senior Director of Operations, Director of Development, Director of Community Relations, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Director of Student Success Programming, Admissions and Recruitment Manager, High School Prep Program Manager/Admissions Coordinator, and Development and Event Coordinator. Of these women, 56% identify as white, 33% as Hispanic/Latina, and 11% as biracial.  

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Buffalo Prep has 14 administrative members on staff. Of the 14, 50% identify as white, 14% identify as black, 21% identify as Hispanic/Latina, and 14% identify as multiracial (black and Hispanic/Latina). Buffalo Prep currently has 23 board members. Of the 23, 65% identify as white, 22% identify as black, and 13% identify as Hispanic/Latino. (same data as above?)  

Buffalo Prep continues to interrogate its procedures and adapt strategies to ensure the practice of equitable and inclusive recruitment and hiring tactics.