Check out CBS5′s coverage of SAGE and its Executive Director, Marjorie Weingrow. Marjorie recently won the Jefferson Award for Public Service which honors

“local ordinary people who, through volunteer service, do extraordinary things for other people, their community, their nation or the environment.”

Here is an excerpt: “‘SAGE stands for Student Achievement Guided by Experience,’ Marjorie explains. ‘What we do is experiential. Everything else that the students do here is theoretical.’

Marjorie started SAGE at Berkeley ten years ago to help retain low income students and prepare them for the world outside academia.

‘What we do is start exposing the students to careers,’ Marjorie says. ‘They start researching careers and getting really involved and meeting people in a variety of careers.’

At weekly classes, Marjorie introduces SAGE scholars to different professional experts who teach them everything from presentation skills, to writing and business etiquette. In addition, every student is matched with a volunteer mentor. And a variety of corporate partners provide scholars with paid internships.

And though she manages over 100 volunteers, and is constantly pressed to raise the money that runs the program, Marjorie still stays connected to each and every student.

‘I also have come from a low income background and didn’t have opportunities available to me,’ she says.

She is part role model, part den mother, and full time advocate for her scholars.” (CBS5)

“Career Guidance Helps College Students Aim High”

Here is video of the coverage as well: