News

BUA at the Boston Book Festival!

For the fourth consecutive year, BUA is proud to be an exhibitor at the Boston Book Festival in partnership with WBUR. The Boston Book Festival presents year-round events culminating in an annual festival that promotes a culture of literature and ideas, and enhances the vibrancy of our city.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, October 19 in Copley Square from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. BUA will be a stop on the Passport to Imagination Tour, a scavenger hunt where festival-goers can make their way through exhibitors’ booths, taking part in fun activities and picking up stamps along the way. Visitors to our booth can learn more about our school’s academic program, get their hand stamped with a picture of Rhett Jr., or pick up some candy and BUA swag. Be sure to stop by!

For more information about exhibitors at the 2019 Boston Book Festival, visit https://bostonbookfest.org/.

Meet English Instructor Carlos Martinez

Carlos Martinez will join Boston University Academy as an English Instructor in the fall of 2019. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas in San Antonio and received his doctorate in English from Brandeis University. His dissertation, entitled "Cormac McCarthy and the American Absurd," is a monograph on the author that treats themes associated with Southern and Southwestern American Literature. He has taught writing and literature courses at Purdue University, Brandeis University, Wheelock College, Boston University, Framingham State University, and Newbury College.

This summer, we sat down with Dr. Martinez to learn what makes him tick.

Where did you grow up, and how did that impact who you are today?

I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, but my family is from a small town near Monterrey, Mexico. I spent much of my youth going back and forth to Mexico, and that helped me appreciate cultural difference on a very personal level. When I started graduate school, I was focused on European Modernism and was interested in a career in Comparative Literature, but I gravitated more and more to my roots, slowly through the process. My dissertation ultimately became about the places I grew up, and my current research and writing is almost exclusively focused on them.

What drew you to English as a discipline?

I’ve always loved story-telling. And reading largely came naturally to me. But my first choice was to become a psychologist like my older brother. But when I started studying psychology in college and interned in a lab, I quickly realized the day-to-day experience of the work was not right for me. Meanwhile, I felt like my mind was being blown the most in my English classes. Then I developed friendships with my literature professors as I worked and studied in the McNair Scholars program, and I never looked back.  Since a young age I’d always loved the idea of Literature, the idea that tough novels existed and that reading them would reveal interesting things about the world that could only be arrived at through patience and diligence. Making a career out of it ultimately came out of that love.

Name three things that you can’t live without (oxygen, food, and water don’t count).

The first would be tennis, playing and maybe even watching it. The exercise is great when playing it, obviously (and I can’t seem to motivate myself to do exercise without it), but mainly it’s the camaraderie and the spirit of competition it affords. What I love most about it is that it affords a space to practice in order to improve, and that there will always be room for improvement. Thus, watching tennis often feels like training, since I’m often learning so much about how to improve my own game. And I find watching the sport incredibly exciting at times, especially now that my wife is largely into it also.

In a time not too long ago, music would have come first, playing and listening. But now tennis is at the forefront. Playing music has been one of the most humbling things I’ve ever done. I’m not naturally good at it, so I needed to get outside of my comfort zone to make it work on any level. But listening to music is one of the greatest feelings I experience. I’m currently on a bit of record hunting spree that’s been developing over the last five years. So, now it’s also more active in that I’m often traveling to and then working my way through antique shops and old record stores, rifling through to see if I can find an elusive Peter Gabriel or Badfinger album, or, and this has not yet happened, a stray Smiths single.

This one should have gone first, but it seemed too hokey to put it first, I couldn’t do any of this without the support of my family and wife. At every turn I’ve always had at least five people there egging me on: to prioritize education, to push for good schools, then to finish the dissertation, to push to the next level of everything. I never take it for granted, and I also don’t know how to thank them enough.

What are some attributes that make a school great?

This is a biased answer, but I feel the most important thing is for the teachers to care about what they are doing. I’ve been privileged to work at places where all of my closest colleagues were giving everything they had to the job because they fully understood how much needs to go into it in order to make it really work. I think great schools need to be student-centered, and not just trying to keep students or to be meeting requirements. It’s always felt to me that when the teachers are really into what they are doing, then the support teams really start to rally around them, which also seems necessary for a great school. I’ve been very luck to work at places where everyone collaborates and tries to produce the best experience for all of the students. Then, of course, the students feed off of this and really make it great.

Related question: what are some attributes that make a great teacher?

Now all of my answers are feeling hokey, but I do believe that humility is the base of good teaching. I think that much of my training amounted to a ‘fake it till you make it’ mentality, but I was never good at faking things, so this strategy was a tough one for me. From the very beginning, I knew I had so much to learn about how to become a good teacher, and now that I am a little more comfortable with my skills and ability, I find it even more necessary to hold on to my sense that I am still nowhere near where I can be as a teacher. What grounds me, then, and what I think makes teachers great, is the ability to listen to students and teach the students in front of us. I was always so impressed by teachers who seemed to have both an agenda and then an amazing ability to riff off of it, almost like musical improv. It inspired me to want to reread texts to see what else I could wring from them. The best classes for me are those that seem guided by the discussion, and not by a fixed agenda, but that then still cover all the materials I set out to cover.

How do you like to spend your free time?

Gardening, and often intense landscaping, and in a broader scope just home improvements. Ever since we were fortunate enough to ‘own’ where we live, there have been seemingly endless possibilities for things to improve. What I most love about gardening is that just enough care is needed in order to grow things well.  And what I love about landscaping and home improvements is that both offer an opportunity to be outside in a focused capacity, and when it’s done I can then marvel at the pristine, finished product.

I’m also really into movies and love going to the Brattle in Harvard.

What were your hobbies and interests in high school?

In high school my first extracurricular activity/priority was music. I started a band my freshman year and spent at least three-to-five days a week practicing and writing. It was, thus far, one of the happiest experiences of artistic collaboration that I have experienced. And then playing shows around town was always so thrilling. I had been collecting and really into music since I was five, and finally being able to be in a band to try to emulate and then expand upon on the stuff I’d been listening to was a major highlight of my youth.

But I also played on the tennis team and kept a fairly busy tennis-playing schedule with friends.

Lastly, I was part of a book-reading circle that pushed each other to read tough books. That took up whatever free time was left. We used to go to an all-night diner, buy the $2 cup of coffee, and just talk about the books through the night. I’m not entirely sure they loved having us there.

What are you binge watching this summer?

When possible, I watch as much of the tennis grand slams as possible. So, I can say I binge-watched a lot of the French Open and then Wimbledon. The U.S. Open, of course, is right around the corner. I don’t try to watch every match, but I often get hooked into very many matches.

But I’m also finally watching GoT. I’m really impressed by it. On the back burner, I have a season and a half of Masterpiece Mystery’s Endeavor to catch up on. And on and on and on. Too much!

Do you have a hidden talent?

This question has really stumped me. I’m not sure I do have a hidden talent, and now I’m thinking I should go and try to get one.

Nutrition aside, if you could choose one food -- and one food only -- to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pasta. Going to Italy for my honeymoon was one of the best experiences of my life. The food in Rome was the best.

What books have you read recently that you would recommend to BUAers?

I really liked Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese. It’s the first graphic novel I’ve read, and I can’t say enough great things about it. I would also recommend reading Roberto Bolaño’s The Savage Detectives. People seem to either really like or really hate that book, but I think it’s an interesting way to think about the ways that literary author’s lives impact people, and I like that it takes place in Mexico.

Follow-up question: can you name just ONE favorite book?

My all-time favorite book has been The Picture of Dorian Gray, if mainly because it was the first novel I read that seemed so different from anything I had ever thought about or experienced. I had not ever liked or hated characters at the level that book inspired.

What are you most looking forward to at BUA?

I can’t wait to get into the classroom and hear what students have to say about these great texts I’ll be teaching. I was blown away by the discussion the students brought during my teaching demonstration, so I’m itching to start delving into these texts.

Letter to the BUA Community from Incoming Head of School Chris Kolovos

To the BUA Community,

I am delighted to be joining the Boston University Academy family and honored to partner with all of you as we chart the future of this extraordinary school.

My visits to campus during the search confirmed what I have known for a long time: BUA is a special place -- a function largely of the people who pass through its doors. I met students whose intellectual ability and curiosity is matched by their empathy and kindness; faculty members who stoke that curiosity while they take the time to get to know each young person as an individual; staff who work hard to create a warm, thriving, dynamic school culture; parents and alumni who embrace the mission and are invested in the future of BUA; and university leaders who are committed to a vision where BU and BUA continue to elevate one another.

BUA is wonderfully positioned to thrive in its second quarter century. Its values resonate far beyond Commonwealth Avenue: unapologetically high academic standards; celebration of intellectual curiosity; knowledge that a small caring community gives students what they need academically and emotionally; a love and respect for tradition; a drive to innovate in order to prepare students for a future we cannot anticipate; an understanding that a diverse, inclusive, equitable community makes us all better. Those priorities are near to my heart and are part of what makes the community so magnetic. BUA also, perhaps uniquely in the landscape of independent schools, benefits from a deep connection with a world-class research university. A small, caring high-school community with access to the college course offerings, thought leaders, facilities, and other resources BU has to offer -- that gives BUA several competitive advantages in the independent-school landscape. More importantly, it provides our students with the best of both worlds.

Thank you to the search committee, its chair, Norm Blanchard, and to Provost Morrison not only for the professionalism and care they showed throughout the process but also for their confidence. I am also grateful to the faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni I have met for showing me the beauty of the community they love so much. My fiancée, Tracey, and I are both Boston natives and excited to be returning home, along with our dog Circe (she is from Mississippi, we think, but roots for Boston sports teams). We look forward to meeting you as we visit over the coming school year and when we formally join the BUA family in July 2020.

Warmly,

Chris Kolovos
Incoming Head of School

BUA Names Next Head of School

Boston University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jean Morrison announced Monday the appointment of Christos Kolovos as Boston University Academy's next Head of School.

Chris Kolovos is Associate Head of School at Greens Farms Academy, an independent, pre-K-12 day school in Westport, CT, which has earned distinction for a rigorous, innovative, globally-minded curriculum that incorporates the surrounding ecosystems, the latest digital tools, and a student-centered approach to teaching and learning. In his six years at Greens Farms Academy, Mr. Kolovos has overseen the school’s academic program, from faculty hiring and professional development to curriculum and accreditation; directed major institutional efforts to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion; spearheaded the creation of a new schedule, service-learning program, and faculty evaluation system; and led the adoption of new courses focused on STEM, sustainability, global studies, and social justice. Mr. Kolovos previously served as Director of Global Education at Belmont Hill School in Belmont, MA, where he chaired the history department and designed programs around global citizenship. Mr. Kolovos is a native of Boston. He attended Roxbury Latin School and then Harvard College, where he graduated magna cum laude with a BA in history. He later earned a law degree at Harvard, while serving as coordinating editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Upon receiving the news of his appointment, Mr. Kolovos shared, “From the moment I stepped onto campus, I knew that BUA was a special place – students who are as kind as they are curious, talented teachers who know and nourish these exceptional young people, parents and alumni who are invested in the school’s success and passionate about the mission, a small, caring community with access to everything a world-class research university has to offer. I am honored to join the BUA family and to have the chance to tell the school’s remarkable story.”

Mr. Kolovos will assume his role of as Head of School in the summer of 2020.

Read the complete memo from Provost Morrison here.
Read the BU Today article about Chris Kolovos's appointment here.

BUA Commencement 2019

On Monday, May 20, the BUA Class of 2019 received their diplomas at Boston University Academy's 25th Commencement exercise, held at the BU Tsai Performance Center. Boston University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Jean Morrison spoke to graduating seniors about the privilege of their education and the special relationship between BUA and BU, and WBUR Morning Edition host Mr. Bob Oakes delivered a keynote address on the importance of civic participation. 

The class of 37 graduates will matriculate at the following colleges and universities this fall:

Boston University (10)
Brandeis University (2)
Brown University (2)
Columbia University
The George Washington University
Harvard College
Johns Hopkins University
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Michigan
New York University
Northeastern University (3)
Northwestern University
Reed College
University of Rochester
Smith College
Stanford University
Swarthmore College
University of Toronto
The University of Edinburgh
Tufts University (3)
Tulane University
Wellesley College

Professional video of the Commencement ceremony is available here. Photographs will be available shortly. Congratulations to the Class of 2019! 

Update on BUA Head of School Search

Norm Blanchard, chair of the BUA Head of School Search Advisory Committee, sent an update on the head of school search to the BUA community on May 2, 2019.

Read the full update here.

Boston University Academy Students Win SISAL Awards

Boston University Academy students took home a bevy of awards in this year's Small Independent Schools Art League (SISAL) competition. Congratulations to all the winners and entrants! View the winning artwork here.

• Painting, 1st Place: Saoirse Killion '21, “Cole”
• Drawing, 1st Place: Saoirse Killion '21, “Aidan”
• Drawing, 3rd Place: Michelle Lisak '21, Untitled
• Mixed Media, 2nd Place: Sasha Tyutyunik '22 (photomontage)
• Mixed Media, 3rd Place: Irene Mitsiades '21, Untitled 
• Digital (Graphic Design), 1st Place: Richard Fu '20, Tuck Design for ’18 Prom playing cards
• Digital (Graphic Design), Honorable Mention: Richard Fu '20, Art is Never…
• Digital (Art/Illustration), 3rd Place: Martin Brunswick '20, District 17
• Fiber Arts, 2nd Place: Irene Mitsiades '21, Starry Knit 

BUA Hosts Its First-Ever Grandparents Day

On April 22, 2019, BUA hosted two dozen grandparents and grand-friends as part of its first-ever Grandparents Day. Guests sat in on classes, heard from administrators about BUA's unique academics and institutional priorities, and enjoyed a buffet lunch with their grandchildren. It was a delight to foster intergenerational engagement for our students and their families. We look forward to making this an annual BUA tradition!

See a complete gallery of photos from Grandparents Day here.

BUA Head of School Search Advisory Committee Named

On April 11, 2019, Boston University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Jean Morrison announced the formation of a new BUA Head of School Search Advisory Committee. Read the full announcement here.