McMillan Education partners with BUILD Boston, an innovative non-profit that provides entrepreneurship experience and guidance for students from underserved communities. Each year, participants also work on a pro bono basis with McMillan counselors on their college applications in the McMillan Scholars program. The benefits of the relationship go both ways – we are able to help guide the students towards the next step while being empowered by their talents and outlook.
I had the privilege of working with Glaydson, a Cape Verdean immigrant who attended one of the STEM academies in the Boston Public Schools. From our first meeting, it was clear that he was a go-getter. He had found ways to attend a summer session at a prestigious boarding school, to take challenging classes remotely at a local college, and even to participate in a hospital internship during COVID.
Glaydson’s BUILD project was a multicultural cookbook featuring recipes from a range of traditions represented in the students’ community. He took on the marketing role, leveraging his gregarious nature and ability to network to showcase the project.
In our conversations, it is clear that Glaydson’s relationships with his family are central – our calls are often joined by siblings, cousins, and his omnipresent dog Vader. His views about community and the need to listen to disparate viewpoints is inspiring in a time of increasing polarization. I emerge from our meetings optimistic about the world he will create in spite of obstacles, and know that I am made better through his influence.
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