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Rising Junior Brett ‘28, is the incoming Chair of Sandia Prep’s Impact Lab Student Advisory Board. When Brett talks about the Impact Lab, he doesn’t begin with projects, programs, or platitudes. He starts with people. “We want students to build empathy,” he says. “We want them to build connections throughout the community.” Newly elected by his peers to this leadership role, Brett will focus this year on creating meaningful opportunities for students to engage with our city, develop leadership skills, and discover how their talents can make a difference.

A Prep student since sixth grade, Brett first became involved with the Impact Lab after talking with Molly Rennie, the Impact Lab Director. He saw it as an opportunity to contribute in a way that matched both his interests and his leadership style.

“I’ve always liked working behind the scenes,” he says. “I enjoy connecting with organizations and helping make things happen.”

When asked about his most memorable experiences in Impact Lab, Brett has two: attending a conference in Washington D.C. with the Impact Lab Student Advisory Board, where “we left as a team, and we came back as friends;” and delivering supplies to the New Mexico Street Pet Project. “They provide veterinary services, food and other things to people who can’t afford it, to make sure they can keep and take care of their pets. I could see it really makes a difference,” Brett said.

“Students...can contribute to organizations doing meaningful work right here in our community,"
- Brett, '28

One of the Student Advisory Board’s most exciting initiatives is the expansion of student internships. Through partnerships with the University of New Mexico and Goodwill, students will receive professional guidance on resumes, interviewing, and communication before being connected with internships across Albuquerque.

“We want students to realize they can contribute to organizations doing meaningful work right here in our community,” he says. “Those experiences help students see new possibilities for themselves.”

The Impact Lab will also continue to strengthen relationships with Prep’s wide variety of Impact Clubs and other nonprofits and community partners, while creating new ways for student leaders to collaborate across campus. Underlying every initiative is a belief that meaningful learning happens both inside and outside the classroom.

“We all want what’s best for our community,” Brett says. “Even when people have different perspectives, we can still come together to support organizations that are making a positive impact.”

That spirit reflects the heart of a Sandia Prep education: encouraging students to think critically, lead with purpose, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them.

Want to help connect young people with experiences that help them discover and act on their passions, including meaningfully helping others and developing a connection to Albuquerque that will serve them throughout their lives? Your generous support of the Prep Fund makes the Impact Lab possible. Thank you for supporting Prep!