News
Lunch with Students
As I do every year, I’ve been hosting lunches this fall in my office with groups of seniors. I’ll do the same with juniors in the winter and then with all 9th and 10th grade advisory groups in the spring. On any given day, you can smell the Raising Cane’s chicken tenders, Chipotle burritos, and Otto pizza down the hall. There is no agenda for the meetings. I’ll often ask how things are going to get a pulse check. The most fun part is when students start asking me questions – about how we do admissions, how the budget works, our relationship with BU, how we choose ASM speakers, how the curriculum changes, how financial aid works, where the school is going. The time flies by. Their curiosity comes through, but there’s more than that. They really care about their school. They feel a sense of pride and ownership. And they... More
Relationships Unlock Learning
Part of my routine each week is popping into three or four classes. I sit off to the side – usually quietly, but sometimes I can’t help but join the fun. Those visits allow me to commend our extraordinary teachers and get a better feel for the students’ day-to-day experience. Those visits are also a good reminder of how important relationships are to learning. There’s a common aphorism that students don’t learn from people they don’t like. While I might quibble with the phrasing and choose to substitute “like” for respect, admire, and trust, it does hint at a series of findings from decades of research about how kids learn best. Feeling seen, known, and loved by your teacher opens the door to learning. It creates a sense of emotional comfort and belonging. It allows students to make mistakes, admit what they don’t know, and ask for help without shame or... More
BU President Dr. Melissa Gilliam Shares Her Story at ASM
On the morning of Tuesday, November 12, BU President Dr. Melissa Gilliam addressed the BUA community at our weekly all-school meeting. In her remarks, President Gilliam shared details of her early life: the daughter of a groundbreaking abstract painter and the first Black woman reporter at the Washington Post, Gilliam attended independent schools in Washington, DC, and spoke fondly of a high-school English teacher who, in a comment on one of her papers, encouraged Gilliam to be a "Renaissance person." Gilliam took her teacher's advice to heart: her indirect career path to university leadership reflects an abiding curiosity and a refusal to be pigeonholed into just one field of study -- much like BUA students. Before her installation as BU's 11th president, and also its first female and first Black president, in September of 2024, President Gilliam served as provost and executive vice president at The Ohio State University, and, previously, More
Being Yourself
On Thursday night, we held one of my favorite new BUA traditions. The South Asian Students Association hosted our second-annual Garba in celebration of Navratri. The word garba refers both to a communal circle dance originating in Gujurat and – as in our case – an event where that dance takes place. It was a beautiful evening. Students of South Asian descent arrived in traditional attire, and many of them brought their families. They were excited to celebrate together, but just as excited to share their cultural heritage with their BUA friends from all backgrounds. They taught their peers several variations of the dances. In no time at all, several dozen students, parents, and teachers were up on their feet dancing, smiling, and learning from each other. I was struck and grateful to be part of a community where the South Asian students feel so comfortable bringing this important part of... More
BUA Sophomore Earns Silver Medal at World Tap Championships
BUA sophomore Lyahnnette Morales '27 and her USA teammates brought home the silver medal at the IDO World Tap Championships held in Prague, Czech Republic earlier this month. Despite being just 15 years old, Lyahnnette competed in the Adult Tap Formation category, which is usually reserved for those ages 17-31. She shares the below reflections on the experience and on her dance career: Congratulations on your accomplishments at the IDO World Tap Championships! Tell us about that experience. The World Tap Championships was a great experience for me. This is my second time competing at IDO's Tap Championship -- I went when I was 10 years old and came home with 5th place. This year World's was held in Prague, Czech Republic at the University of New York in Prague's (UNYP) arena. There were five days of competition in different age categories, starting Wednesday morning and ending Sunday night. After spending some time... More
Cross Country Recap 10/22
Lucy '25 shares a recap of the BUA Cross Country team's race on October 22: The cross country team ran another amazing race this week on the familiar territory of Gann Academy. The team pushed through unexpected heat and extended hills and ended strong! It was a great race for spectators with three loops around Gann’s soccer field, a short stint in the woods and winding around the back of the school. The race ended in a final sprint around the edge of the baseball diamond, perfect for fans to watch. Special shoutout to Sara '28 for crushing her first ever race! Another shoutout to our seniors, running their final (ever!) regular season race. And finally, congratulations to all the team members who joined this year, pushed themselves in practice, and have been running incredible races. Their hard work is obvious to anyone who watches and it’s incredible to see how... More
BU Connections
Earlier this week, we hosted our BU-BUA Connections event – a fun evening gathering of BUA current parents, parents of alumni, and prospective BUA families who teach and work at the University. The evening gave me a chance to thank this cohort for all the ways they enrich our students’ experience. Many of them teach BUA students in their University classes. One professor told me that his first impression of BUA came from teaching a BUA student in a master’s level economics course. He was puzzled that a 16-year-old was the strongest contributor in the bunch and felt like he just had to learn more about BUA! We hear stories like that all the time. These families help out in so many other ways. They hire BUA students as researchers in their labs. They advise senior theses. They speak at our school meetings and suggest other great colleagues to do the... More
Boys & Girls Soccer Recap 10/18
Metch '25 shares the following recap of the BUA Boys Soccer team victory against Commonwealth at Fall Festival on October 18: Boston University Academy took the lead early, with Ollie '25 opening up the scoreboard by tapping in a corner kick to make it 1-0 in the first half. Commonwealth fought fiercely, locking down BUA's offense until the second half. Then, Austin '28 dazzled by weaving through five defenders down the right, delivering a perfect assist to Connor '25 at the far post, who tapped it in beautifully. Caleb '27 followed with a stunning far-post strike from a tough angle, extending the lead to 3-0 with just ten minutes left. In the final moments, Commonwealth launched a relentless attack, pinning BUA in their half. But with 30 seconds remaining, Nathan '28 made a crucial defensive stop, passing to Connor '25, who one-touched it to Caleb '27. Caleb then curved a perfect pass... More
Thank You to our Families
We held our annual State of the School event last night. It is a festive evening where parents, guardians, teachers, and staff come together for social connection and to hear a bit about how things are going at the school. My favorite part of the event, aside from the magnificent performance by the Swamp Cats – our select jazz combo – was fielding questions from BUA families. The questions were not about any individual student, but instead telegraphed an interest in the success of the institution. The spirit behind several of the questions was explicitly about how parents can help. What kind of social entrepreneurship opportunities are available to students and how can parents open more doors? As the school builds more partnerships in the City of Boston, what role can parents who live in Boston play? This school is fortunate to have such dedicated and generous families. Each year, dozens... More
Major Lydia Hill ’11 Receives Distinguished Alumni Award
BUA is delighted to present the 2024-2025 Distinguished Alumni Award to Major Lydia Hill '11 for her service in the United States Air Force as well as for her advocacy on behalf of LGBTQIA airmen. This annual award, launched in 2022, goes to an alumnus/a who best exemplifies the values of BUA and has used those qualities to make an impact on the community and world around them. Nominations for the award are solicited from the entire alumni community, and recipients are selected by the BUA Alumni Council. Major Hill graduated from BUA in 2011 and went on to the United States Air Force Academy, where she received her commission in 2015 as a distinguished graduate. Major Hill left her own legacy at USAFA, founding the Spectrum Alliance for LGBTQIA cadets, which is still in operation today. Major Hill has worked with KC-135s and F-16s as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer, served as a Wing Executive Officer, More