Under the umbrella of the Berkeley Business Excellence Program, the Berkeley Scholars program, started in 2021, offers mentorship, academic enrichment, and a welcoming scholarly community to students from groups underrepresented at PCSB. Open to first-year PCSB students, the program provides practical guidance to students for whom Providence College presents a new and different academic and social culture from their home communities, from navigating the college’s many and ever-expanding resources to empowering members to achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals. Above all else, becoming a Berkeley Scholar means joining a supportive community of scholars who work together to thoughtfully engage in college life, find success, and prepare for the exciting road ahead.
Berkely scholars will participate in workshops, roundtables, and advising events that support academic achievement, facilitate mentorship across cohorts, and provide ongoing academic and professional development opportunities. Complete benefits include:
- Mentorship and support from a community of peers, alumni, faculty, and staff
- Personalized advising & mentoring.
- Pre-registration for PCSB courses.
- Access to financial support for academic and professional opportunities.
- Programs about career pathways.
- Skill developing workshops.
- Invitation to networking events featuring upper-class students, faculty, administrators, and PC alumni
Topics covered in these sessions will include advice from recruiters, resume-writing best practices, interviewing & communications skill-building, and development of soft skills, such as public speaking, project management, and leadership development.
The Berkeley Scholar application for the PCSB Class of 2027 will open in October 2023.
Michael Berkeley embodied many qualities that endeared him to countless individuals throughout his life. He was born in New Rochelle, NY, attended Iona Preparatory School and graduated from Providence College in 1985 with a BS in Finance. At PC, Mike was an MLK Scholar, walked onto the men’s basketball team, and set his sights on a career on Wall Street. He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and interned at Salomon Brothers. Mike then joined Merrill Lynch’s sales and trading program. That same year, he met his wife, Lourdes Perez, who would become the love of his life. They later went on to have two sons. After several years spent honing his expertise, Mike founded his own firm, The Berkeley Group, focusing on securities brokerage, private equity investments and various golf course development projects. Golfing was near and dear to Mike. He started caddying at 12 and was the first recipient of Winged Foot’s Gene Hayden Outstanding Caddy Award. As his success grew, Mike became one of the very early black members of Winged Foot; something that was not lost on him in terms of significance. Mike tragically lost his life on September 11, 2001. His office was located on the 79th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center.
