At age 40 and a single father, Charles Long is reinventing himself by pursuing a college degree later in life. Long recently received his associate’s degree and is now working toward earning his bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley beginning this new school year. At UC Berkeley, he ambitiously aims to double major in social welfare and psychology, with a minor in African American studies. But as an A²MEND mentee, he’s confident he’ll have the supportive network he needs to succeed in reaching his educational goals.
While a student at Moreno Valley College, Long learned about A²MEND through a faculty advisor who felt the organization could support him in his interest in transferring to a four-year university. During the A²MEND conference in March, Long was able to meet and converse with admission representatives from UC Berkeley and UCLA. Although he had already applied to UC Berkeley at the time, the introduction encouraged him to move forward with following through with the college admissions process.
“A²MEND is a brotherhood of intelligent Black men who have overcome in life to get where they are,” said Long. “I’ve never been around a large group of accomplished Black men. Seeing them at the conference and going to Africa with them – it’s been inspirational.”
Raised in Oakland, Long has sought role models ever since he can remember. His father was incarcerated for the first eight years of his life, and he spent part of his childhood in foster care after his mother lost parental custody due to her drug addiction. Miraculously, his parents reconciled and raised their children together once his mother successfully completed a rehab program and his father was released from prison. But his memories in foster care made an indelible impression on him, motivating him to pursue a career in social work to help others who share similar childhood experiences.
“I’ve always wanted to be a social worker because when I was in foster care, a social worker made my time there a lot easier,” said Long, adding that he wants to also establish a group home one day. “I want to open up a group home for juveniles, like a boarding school. Not just to provide housing, but to take them on trips to show them a different way of living.”