Community Spotlights
José Flores
A Scholar Launches His Career in Sports and Social Impact
It is not unusual to find Boston students at Red Sox and Celtics games. But there is something exceptional about Scholar José Flores, a 20-year-old gaining professional experience with both teams at once. Managing a full course load at Tufts University in economics and Spanish cultural studies, José is working a part-time job on the Red Sox Fan and Youth Engagement Team and a community engagement internship with the Celtics.
A Proactive Professional
With early support from Steppingstone in academics and school placement, José enrolled in Roxbury Latin (RL) and earned his diploma with a clear vision for his career.
“I've really made a point to stand out in terms of experience and resume from a very young age, because I know at the end of the day, I want a career in sports community engagement.”
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Born in Guatemala and raised in Boston, José first found meaning in immigration work. He pursued a high-school internship at the nonprofit Agencia ALPHA and became a program manager of their youth leadership program by the 11th grade. Simultaneously, he dedicated time to athletics, playing varsity soccer and tennis at RL.
When he realized that his passion for sports and social impact could intersect as a career, RL connected him with an alumnus who helped him secure his first Celtics internship during his senior year of high school. This internship paved the way to a more specialized internship in college—and later, when José applied to his part-time job with the Red Sox, RL alumni connections provided another recommendation.
A Day in the Life
José describes his position at the Red Sox as “demanding in terms of being high energy, being positive, and engaging with fans on a daily basis, whether it’s at a game, in the community, or engaging corporate partnerships.”
His responsibilities include helping to organize Red Sox theme nights and promoting membership programs to fans and families, “bringing the Red Sox image to youth in different communities.”
As for his Celtics internship, José calls his department “a very fun environment. Everyone’s super enthusiastic—and I think you have to be that way if you're working in sports.”
On game days, he spends evenings preparing for the 50-50 raffle fundraiser and ensuring volunteers are set up for success. On non-game days, José manages the in-kind donation portal for the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation. He also manages mailings, prepares supplies for youth program events, and works at the community events of the Celtics’ corporate partners. He was sorry to miss the Celtics’ 2024 championship trophy visiting Scholars this winter!
José is learning around the clock, particularly about time management—but finding energy is no concern.
“I’ve loved every single second of it…It's already solidified: this is what I want to do.”
The Meaning of “Steppingstone”
José’s story shows exactly how Steppingstone’s school placement model was designed to work: early support helped him make the leap to a school with a strong graduation rate and a robust network. José now has access to the dual benefits of Roxbury Latin’s and Steppingstone’s resources throughout high school, college, and beyond.
José names resume-building workshops and networking opportunities as especially helpful. One recent example: a career workshop offered by Income Research Management (IRM), a corporate partner of Steppingstone. “That was offered uniquely to Steppingstone Scholars, which I appreciated.”
“I think meetings between corporate partners and Steppingstone are super meaningful to Scholars, especially when the job market, at this time, is so competitive.”
José has found peer networking at Steppingstone equally impactful. He points to his friend Miguel Rincon, a fellow Scholar and RL alumnus. “When I applied to RL, I shadowed him right after interviews. That’s where we made the Steppingstone connection. Now, we’re both at Tufts and we’re in the same econ class this semester.” Miguel and José stay engaged with Steppingstone together, even co-presenting on a recent Scholar panel at Bain Capital.
A Family Legacy
As José prepares to transition into Steppingstone’s Alumni community, he watches his younger sister, Gabriella, starting her own journey through the program in fifth grade.
“It's always super interesting to hear about her experience—because each Scholar experience is unique in the way that Steppingstone is able to tailor their resources.”
“She’s always been someone who’s wanted to challenge herself, so she’s taking everything that Steppingstone has to offer and giving it her all,” José praises, a proud older brother. “I’m looking forward to pushing her to take advantage of the resources, and also seeing her achieve success.”
He knows Steppingstone will continue to be here for her and for their family, from her independent school applications all the way to her own future career.
