BEN GENTRY - DIRECTOR

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Though he recently earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Southern New Hampshire University, Ben Gentry remains a lifelong learner dedicated to inspiring a passion for learning in others. He currently works as the Assistant Director for College Access and Strategies at SNHU where he runs the Breakthrough Manchester College-Bound program, serving both highly motivated, under-resourced high school students on their path to post-secondary success and aspiring, pre-professional college students on their path to leadership and teacher development. Aside from college access and success work, Ben enjoys teaching writing and research, great storytelling regardless of medium, spending time with his wife and two young daughters, and exploring how video game design elements like freedom to fail and clear feedback can be embedded in education.

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When SNHU announced its partnership with Breakthrough Manchester in the summer of 2016, Ben had just finished his student teaching of ninth and tenth grade English for the Master of Education and secondary teacher certification. Jumping at the opportunity, he has worked to build out the Breakthrough Manchester College-Bound program at SNHU which now serves 105 high school students and 21 college students each year, and boasts a network of over 100 student and/or advisor alums!