SAAB seeks to understand the relationship between student background, college-level factors, and academic performance in college by examining how these factors affect African American males in SAAB as well as outside of SAAB. SAAB seeks to examine perceived social support and its contribution to student achievement. Institutional support and academic achievement emerge as important areas to investigate.
Graduates of SAAB are competitive in the professional world of work and serve as role models for inner-city neighborhoods throughout the country. Over the past decade, SAAB has helped to ensure the continued academic success of African American males by helping 80% of SAAB participants persist from their freshman to sophomore year and helping 86% of SAAB participants graduate.
This success greatly exceeds the 42% national rate of retention for African American males that persist from their freshman to sophomore year and the 55% average national five-year graduation rate for Black males. The SAAB program has attracted national attention as an innovative prototype for personal and academic enrichment, and has been successfully expanded to serve students at both public and private four-year institutions, including both predominantly white and historically Black institutions.
Over the years, SAAB has proven that through strong leadership and personal dedication African American college men can achieve personal and academic success. An example of SAAB’s many success stories would involve Chris, a SAAB alumnus of one of the chapters on the east coast. By Chris’s own admission, he entered the SAAB program as a freshman struggling with self-esteem and motivation issues. He attributes much of his personal and academic success to his SAAB experience stating that his involvement enabled him to gain confidence and a sense of purpose, which led to higher self-esteem and an increased ability to accomplish his goals in life. Today, Chris runs a successful company and mentors many youth in his community. He also provides scholarships for aspiring young men desiring to go to college.