Last week, I was privileged to (1) visit and tour Brighton Marine, a world-class facility that offers wraparound support to veterans and their families in the Boston Community, and (2) attend the national convening for College Promise as they marked their 10th year. It was symbolic that their national convening was held in Boston because Massachusetts recently became the 37th state to establish its Promise program.
From beginning to end, the three-day convening was thoughtfully planned. Organized around three themes: Access, Advancement, and Achievement leaders from across the country openly shared their successes and challenges. We heard from passionate panelists such as Krissy DeAlejandro, the first promise program leader at tnAchieves. We heard from Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll who shared the many benefits of promise programs in advancing economic mobility for students across the state. John Barnshaw shared compelling data that supports the need for promise programs, and leaders shared the importance of wraparound support for students to meet their needs for housing, food, and transportation so they can succeed in school. Jon Santiago, the Secretary, Department of Veterans Services of Massachusetts extended this need to the Veteran community.
The final day Terry Szuplat, a former speechwriter for President Obama shared his wisdom on how he connects to an audience through storytelling.
I am grateful to Rosye Cloud for building a big tent and for her generosity and thoughtfulness in assembling a first-class team including Betty Rhoades, Toni Bacerra, and Michelle Cooper. Rosye is a master at extending her network to colleagues and makes use of every opportunity to elevate the strengths of others. The open exchange of ideas with leaders across the country is a model I will use for future convenings. I especially enjoyed my conversations with: Valerie Dent | Ruthe Farmer | Keisha Stephenson Ed.D. |Bryan Ashton | Mike Dean
