Emmanuel College hosted the second annual My Brother’s Keeper Summit last week, welcoming more than 150 students who heard encouraging words from speakers, including Mayor Wu, about valuable life skills like dressing for success, financial empowerment, entrepreneurship and innovation and technology.

The event comprised a wide-ranging community partnership of Emmanuel College’s Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI), the City of Boston’s Office of Black Male Advancement, and the BPS’s Division of Student Support.

Wu emphasized the importance of the partnerships between the city, colleges like Emmanuel, and the many local organizations in attendance in supporting the future of Boston.

“We tell students - if you just work hard, you’ll go places - do good in the world and you’ll go far,” she said. “A lot of us growing up know that the world is a bit more complicated sometimes. And when you look a certain way, when you come from a certain community, or you don’t come from a background where you have all kinds of connections, it does take having the people and supports around you.”

One student in attendance, Damani Williams, will be returning to Emmanuel College in the fall as a first-year student. He said that his graduation from Dorchester’s Burke High School the day before the Summit felt bittersweet, but he was glad he got the chance to network, learn from, and connect with his mentors.

In the hallways where he’ll soon be spending his time, Williams said he was excited for his next chapter at Emmanuel and an effort to “continue his dream” of playing basketball for the next four years.