While I have no personal experience with Berea, I do know it is a member of The Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) which encourages the study of poverty as a complex social problem, by expanding and improving educational opportunities for college students in a wide range of disciplines and career trajectories. SHECP began in 1998 as the Shepherd Poverty Alliance. It was founded at Washington & Lee University and allied with Berea College and Spelman College. The Alliance incorporated as SHECP, an independent nonprofit in 2013, and since then, has grown into a consortium of colleges and universities that provides coordinated internships, coursework, and co-curricular support. SHECP provides unique programming through direct educational opportunities such as the Summer Internship Program, networking and collaboration opportunities for students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and a range of events featuring professionals and experts from within and outside the Consortium.
My D21 was part of SHECP at one of the member schools and found the program extremely rewarding. She participated in a summer internship and attended conferences with students from multiple member schools, including Berea. The access to educational and experiential programs and internships was an influential part of her undergrad experience.