Through the Eyes of Our Alums
BUA’s Alumni Council met recently. The group is made up of 22 graduates from across the decades of the school’s life who volunteer to help build community among fellow graduates, encourage alumni engagement with the school, and offer advice and perspective on today’s BUA. We are grateful for their leadership.
At one point in the meeting, the conversation turned to the ways the school has evolved over time. Voices around the table appreciated the dramatic expansion in financial accessibility. Due to the extraordinary generosity of our donors, financial aid now extends far beyond tuition to defray the costs of textbooks, laptops, school social events, college applications, and other pieces – all critical to being a full member of the community. Council members noted with gratitude other ways in which the school has become more diverse in addition to socioeconomics; BUA today much more closely resembles the world our students are entering than it did years ago. They applauded the investments the school has made in supporting each young person’s socio-emotional life beyond the classroom – the presence of the school psychologist, learning specialist, director of student support, and other structural supports are all relatively new in the life of the school.
Finally, there was a great deal of pride in the fact that a school that was, just decades ago, an experiment with little name recognition is now emerging as the school of choice for exceptionally kind and curious students in the Boston area. BUA is Boston’s best kept secret no longer, and our alums take a lot of pride in the evolution of the school they helped – and continue to help – build.