In March, we hosted our very first Pathfinders visit! Kelly Lewis graciously welcomed Steph Lewis, President and CEO of The BASE, and no relation to Ms. Lewis, to visit her fifth-grade classroom at Blackstone Elementary School.
When we initially reached out to Steph to participate, he replied, “As a Blackstone alum, I am 1000% in!”
Ms. Lewis’ students matched his level of enthusiasm during the visit. In reflecting on Mr. Lewis’ time in her classroom, Ms. Lewis noted, “Steph shared his time, passions, and ‘realness’ with my students. They were so attentive, and I’m impressed that he captured and held their collective attention!”
The BASE was founded in 2013 by Robert Lewis, Jr., building on his 40 years of experience coaching and leading the Boston Astros baseball team. The BASE is a non-profit organization focusing on urban youth and using their passion for sports to create pathways to higher education and meaningful careers through scholarship, academic support, and internships.
Steph, Robert’s son, took over in 2022 as President and CEO.
In Ms. Lewis’ classroom, Steph recalled dreaming of being a professional baseball player as a fifth grader. He shared that his career hasn’t been linear and that life experiences and opportunities ultimately led him to where he is today. He worked his way up the ranks at The BASE and urged students to pursue what they love, first and foremost, and that opportunities will find their way to them.
His parting words to students were, “Continue to be great, continue to be yourself, and don’t let this world change you. There are billions of people on this earth, but there’s only one you.”
