Mindy Wright

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT MINDY WRIGHT

I’m the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Upward Project, a five-year, wrap-around career development program for high-achieving, first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students attending selective colleges and universities. I launched The Upward Project in January 2018 with a clear goal: to disrupt the wealth gap in Boston by providing students with the resources, networks, and opportunities they need to thrive in competitive fields.Our program combines academic coaching, career readiness training, internship guidance, and social and cultural enrichment with meaningful financial support—stipends, laptops, professional attire, and more—so that our scholars can fully engage in their college and career journeys.Before founding The Upward Project, I served as the Founding Director of the Persistence Project at Boston Prep, where our work helped boost persistence rates for students navigating the transition from high school to college. I also led Boston Prep’s Graduate Support program and History Department, and began my career teaching middle school social studies at the Epiphany School in Dorchester, MA. I hold a master’s degree in education from Boston College and am a proud Colby College graduate. As a first-generation, low-income college graduate myself, I know firsthand the challenges FGLI students face. That experience fuels my work every day—ensuring our scholars are not just prepared for graduation, but positioned for long-term career success and economic mobility.