MiLB, Big Brothers Big Sisters commit to future with Rising Star Students Program

The transition from high school to college is often one of life’s greatest adjustments, marking the first time away from home for many students. College can also be financially burdensome for some, making it a challenge to pay for their education.

Since 2016, Minor League Baseball (MiLB™) and MiLB Charities have recognized exemplary students as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Rising Star Students program. These honorees receive a $500 stipend toward their college education, as well as recognition from their local MiLB team. This year, the recognitions will not take place in-park, but rather on social media. Recipients also receive an MiLB gift pack.

This year, four students have been selected and will be celebrated by MiLB and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America as they earn their “call-up” to college. Dashawn Appleberry, Rhett Hardy, Liliana Rey and James Morris have all demonstrated passion, integrity and a strong work ethic in their lives earning them the Rising Star Students honor. Each student was recognized virtually by his or her local MiLB team, with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos celebrating Appleberry and Hardy, the Albuquerque Isotopes honoring Rey and the Frisco RoughRiders spotlighting Morris.

Appleberry achieved a 3.9 GPA in high school and will be attending Florida State University. His family moved to Mary Esther, Florida, after being displaced due to Hurricane Katrina when he was six. With the constant support and bond of his Big Brother Richard, Appleberry was accepted to five of the six universities to which he applied. Dashawn and Richard’s annual trip to a Florida State University football game this year turned into a campus visit and ultimately became Dashawn’s top college choice.

Hardy, who calls Cantonment, Florida home, earned a 4.76 GPA in high school and will be attending the University of Florida to study biomedical engineering on the pre-med track. Hardy played baseball in high school, and a broken foot left him benched, but led him to want to help others. His passion for baseball now extends into the community as a coach for special needs children. Rhett’s Big Brother Andy has taught him about being a leader in life and school, and on the baseball field.

Rey will be attending the University of New Mexico to study biology. She has been a youth leader for a conservation crew for the last two years and volunteering at a school that employs project-based learning to teach students about the environment. Liliana credits her Big Sister in helping her plan for her future and establish goals. Not only did she assist in Liliana’s college selection process, she also helped her discover her dream job of working with animals and becoming a veterinarian technician. Liliana is from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Morris, from Irving, Texas (and Clarksdale, Mississippi), will be attending the University of Houston to study theater arts. James found the stage almost by accident, taking a theater class to get a fine arts credit and discovering his passion in the process. The experience taught him to go outside his comfort zone and be strong in the face of adversity. Growing up with a single mom and four sisters, Big Brothers Big Sisters provided James with a positive, adult male figure in his life who was always there for him when he needed support.

These four students are the latest recipients of college stipends through the Rising Stars Students Program. Since the program began, MiLB Charities has awarded more than $160,000 to deserving students in MiLB communities. The initiative is a continuation of the relationship between MiLB Charities and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), which began when BBBSA joined the Minor League Baseball Charity Partners Program in 2004. In the same year, MiLB Charities was formed.

Minor League Baseball Charities is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to giving back to and enhancing the communities our teams call home. Through donations and support it receives from fans, teams and partners, MiLB Charities is able to contribute to local organizations in times of need and support causes that are important to our extended baseball family.

For more information or to donate to MiLB Charities, click here.