Sargent
Sargent Spirit
Issue 4
Sargent emergency fund changes lives In her junior year, Sarah Wade (Sargent’21, SPH’23), a health science major, was carrying a full academic course load and holding down two jobs to make ends meet when the rug was pulled out from under her. Her dad, who had been cosigning lowinterest loans for her tuition and expenses, cut her off when she told him she was gay. “I had a girlfriend and didn’t want to keep it a secret anymore,” she says. “I was left paying for school, electronics, food, clothes—everything—on my own.” Sarah’s schedule was already intense: classes, the BU Women’s Rowing team, an internship at Children’s Hospital doing surveillance to identify COVID-19 case clusters for the Centers for Disease Control, and seasonal work for BU Athletics. “I started working seven days a week—dog walking, babysitting, Instacart grocery delivery—on top of everything else,” says Sarah. BU financial aid increased the amount of her grants significantly, but it still wasn’t enough. So a week before spring semester began, she set up a GoFundMe account. “It was a last resort,” she says. “I’m someone who likes to figure things out myself. When I ask for help, it’s me saying, ‘OK, I really can’t do this alone anymore. This is the last straw.’” Sarah Wade (Sargent'21, SPH'23)
I can’t thank the Sargent Cares donors enough for what their support has helped me achieve.”
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Sargent Cares: a safety net The GoFundMe account enabled Sarah to get through junior year. But when the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated that spring, those extra jobs dried up. “That summer, my sense of control evaporated,” she says. The Sargent Cares Emergency Fund helped restore it. Dean Chris Moore established the fund in response to the financial crises many students and families were facing because of job loss, mounting healthcare expenses, unplanned travel needs, and other emergencies brought on by COVID-19. Sargent College leadership donors responded immediately and generously (see “Sargent Cares, then, now, and always” on page 5). To date the fund has supported 37 students, including undergraduate, graduate, and international students. Those in the latter two groups are not eligible for support under the federal CARES Act, making the fund particularly critical for them. Sarah first heard about Sargent Cares in the fall of her senior year when one of her professors, Kelly Pesanelli, mentioned it in her Organization and Delivery of Healthcare course. “I was like, this really, really could help me out,” she says. It has. “Sargent Cares provided an incredible cushion for me,” says Sarah. “Yes, it enabled me to buy what I needed, like a new computer camera so I could participate in my remote classes, and to pay my phone bill. But it did so much more. It reassured me emotionally: I could make it, I could graduate. It allowed me to take a breath, to be a student—to do my homework without stress, to FaceTime with friends. And it let me work on my relationship with my family.”
From the dean Dear Sargent alumni, It is with great pride that I pen this note. Today we sit suspended between the remarkable accomplishments of one of the most challenging academic years on record and the onset of the next, informed and buoyed by the new approaches to learning we discovered together through the pandemic. The stories of resilience from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents are inspiring and stand as a testament to our exceptional community and ever-present Sargent Spirit. From figuring out how to teach Gross Human Anatomy virtually to ensuring that no student’s education was interrupted speaks to the creativity and collaboration that is Sargent College, now and always. It is my privilege to be part of this community: together we continue to forge a path to excellence and a commitment to one another that never wavers.
“Security and peace of mind” It’s a theme you hear repeatedly from recipients: Sargent Cares enabled them to complete their BU educations. “Support from Sargent Cares makes me look forward to making a difference in the lives of my future patients and clients,” says Alana N. Alves (Sargent’22), who is earning a PhD in occupational therapy. “This generous donation is providing my family and me with security and peace of mind so that I can continue pursuing my dreams.” Ellie Ottman (Sargent’24), a doctoral candidate in rehabilitation sciences, notes the incredible “relief and security” her grant has brought her, helping provide the housing and medical care she needs. “I am truly grateful to receive the Sargent Cares support,” she says. “This tremendous generosity will enable me to continue my academic and research pursuits, supported by
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Thank you for the leadership you demonstrate every day. This was in full view in your generous response to the establishment of our Sargent Cares Emergency Fund. We created the fund to provide immediate support to our students in need during this challenging year, and with your help we have done just that. As you will read in these pages, this effort extended a lifeline to students who otherwise would have had to suspend their studies as a consequence of the pandemic. We could not have done it without you. I am deeply grateful for the support of our entire Sargent family. Your commitment to our students conveys your confidence and belief not only in our mission but also in our spirit and resilience, particularly when times get tough. This is profoundly meaningful to all of us. With sincere wishes for your health, safety, and well-being, and the opportunity to reconnect in person as this pandemic continues to retreat.
Chris Moore Dean and Professor College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
expert mentors in both Sargent College and the Center for Neurophotonics at Boston University.” Her bachelor’s degree firmly in hand, Sarah Wade is now working full time as a clinical research coordinator in the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Nephrology, overseeing data collection for clinical studies. This fall, she will enter the BU School of Public Health to begin a master’s degree in epidemiology. “I can’t thank the Sargent Cares donors enough for what their support has helped me achieve,” says Sarah. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have graduated, and I wouldn’t have this job at Mass General—a place very near and dear to my heart, ever since I went to doctors’ appointments with my mother when she was going through chemotherapy many years ago. When I’m in a position to give back, I will follow their example. I will give generously to this fund.”
Getting to know your SCAA president An interview with Kelly Pesanelli
(CGS'94, Sargent’96,’98), senior lecturer, Sargent College Department of Health Sciences
Sargent College Alumni Weekend special programs
What is your vision for the Sargent College Alumni Association? I want our alumni to want to come back to BU and to Sargent! When we graduate, we often don’t feel as if we’re ready to leave. Then we go off in our own directions and might not come back as often as we thought we would. I want our alumni, wherever they are, to feel like they always have a home at Sargent. One of the benefits of the pandemic was the shift to online platforms. I hope we can continue using these platforms moving forward to connect with one another, near and far!
How do you define success for the Sargent College Alumni Association?
Friday, October 1 2–5 pm What the Science Tells Us Racial Health & Economic Inequities during the Pandemic Location TBA
Presented by the BU Center for Antiracist Research Proudly supported by the Vertex Foundation
More people coming back and becoming engaged with Sargent! I aim for the SCAA board to offer many avenues of involvement, including educational webinars and lectures, volunteer opportunities with students, participation on the SCAA board or a committee, and, of course, making a gift in support of Sargent College. We want our alumni involved with the college in whatever way suits them best.
10–11:30 am Sargent Roundtable Symposium Successful Strategies for Pain Management: Case Study, Lower Back Pain
How did you know you wanted to attend Sargent College?
Sargent College, 635 Commonwealth Ave., classroom 220 (in person with Zoom option)
Like so many of our alumni, I was exposed to health science by way of a sports injury as an adolescent. I grew up in the Boston area, and when I was in seventh grade, I dislocated my knee during a lacrosse game. Before deciding to operate, my doctors referred me to a physical therapist—it was the best day of my life! During my last PT appointment, I turned to my mother and said, “This is what I’m going to do with my life.” My grandfather was an architect, and his company worked on many of the buildings around BU (StuVi-1, StuVi-2, and the Hariri Building, among others). My family attended games at Nickerson Field with Dr. Silber, and one day, my mother mentioned that I was interested in PT. Dr. Silber turned to me and told me that I needed to go to school at BU. I was so sure that Sargent was the school for me that I told my high school headmistress I would only apply to BU.
What is your favorite Sargent memory? The night before my musculoskeletal practical exam, my friend and I were practicing in an open lab. When we finished, we noticed that the paraffin machine in the corner was plugged in. We started dipping our hands in and then decided to do one better and dip our feet in. We were standing on chairs, holding on to one another for dear life, while we took turns dipping our feet. All of a sudden, Carolyn Cohen (Sargent’65), who was teaching CPR in the next room, walked in, and we sprinted for our chairs. Little did we know, we’d left a trail of paraffin footprints across the entire classroom!
Saturday, October 2
Moderator: Kelly Pesanelli (CGS’94, Sargent’96,’98), SCAA president and Sargent faculty member Panelists: • Aaron Yengo-Kahn (Sargent’11), neurology fellow, Vanderbilt University • Diane Dalton, PT, DPT, OCS, Sargent College clinical associate professor of physical therapy • Sorcha Martin, PT, DPT, OMT, FAAOMPT, Sargent College clinical assistant professor of physical therapy 11:30 am–1:30 pm Sargent College Alumni Awards Luncheon Sargent College, 635 Commonwealth Ave., classroom 220 (in person with Zoom option)
1:30 pm BU Alumni Awards Location TBA (in person)
What are some takeaways following your first year as SCAA president? The board and I are working hard to find new and interesting ways to reengage our alumni, and it’s not always easy. Life is busy—we want to be sure that we’re 3
creating meaningful content and activities that are worth everyone’s time. This means honoring Sargent’s long-lasting traditions but also creating new traditions and opportunities. Our most recent initiative is building programmatic committees that will work in parallel with the SCAA. These committees will focus on different areas of Sargent and be tasked with identifying new educational content. This is a perfect example of mixing the old with the new—honoring Sargent’s historic fireside-chat lecture series by infusing it with fresh content, available online and in person, generated by our very own alumni.
What should alumni do if they want to get involved? •
Join the SCAA! You can learn more about us and submit an application at bu.edu/sargent/SCAA.
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Join a programmatic committee and help the SCAA plan lectures relevant to your interests. We want alumni from all years and backgrounds to participate. To learn more about these committees and to submit an application, visit bu.edu/sargent/SCAA.
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To learn about our upcoming events, webinars, and lectures, visit bu.edu/sargent/calendar.
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Support Sargent College at bu.edu/give2sargent. Please consider a donation to the Sargent Cares Student Emergency Fund, which supports students above and beyond traditional financial aid.
Steve Windwer (Sargent’85), president/CEO of Bay State Physical Therapy, at the spring 2021 Fireside Chat webinar series “Leading Through Crisis”
Liz Co, Sargent clinical assistant professor, at the spring 2021 Fireside Chat webinar series “Remote Learning Case Study: Gross Anatomy 101”
2021 SCAA Zoom meeting. From top left: Kerry Blossfeld (Sargent’99,’01); Danielle Lurie, development associate; Karen Jacobs (Sargent’79); Kelly Pesanelli (CGS’94, Sargent’96,’98); Debbie Claar, assistant director, Academic Services; Margherita Grossbard (Sargent’11,’13); Alex Carroll (Sargent’18); Wesley Jones (Sargent’21,SPH’23); Ally Manfreda (Sargent’12, Questrom’17); Kristina Lentz Capano, assistant dean for Development & Alumni Relations; Carolyn Cohen (Sargent’65); Natalia Lopez (Sargent’14)
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Sargent Cares, then, now, and always “Sargent is a special place. It’s a home away from home,” says Carolyn Cohen (Sargent’65), who has held many roles on the SCAA and currently serves as reunion liaison. “You walk through the halls, and everyone greets you. People leave their things lying around and pick them up later. We’re a family: we take care of one another.” There’s a name for that way of being: Sargent Spirit. And it came to the fore once again when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Recognizing that students had lost jobs and families were in financial crisis, Dean Chris Moore launched a fund, administered at his discretion, to provide emergency aid so students could continue their educations. Called Sargent Cares, the fund quickly attracted attention: Sargent College leadership donors gave generous gifts. As one of these leading donors, Carolyn went a step further and rallied her class to commit its 2020 reunion gift to the fund. Today, Sargent Cares will continue to serve as a safety net for emergencies from rent shortfalls to food challenges, from travel and technology needs to academic essentials such as books and program costs.
Unlike scholarship aid, which requires forms and backup materials, students simply present a request for Sargent Cares support to the dean’s office. “It’s quick,” says Carolyn. “In these emergency situations, when a student can’t put food on the table or pay the rent, the less red tape, and the quicker the access to cash, the better. We want to keep students in school.” Carolyn speaks from experience. When she was a student, she was surprised to learn there was a charge for what was then called Sargent Camp—the college’s teacher-training program in Hancock, New Hampshire, where students mastered swimming, archery, and field hockey, among other sports. She thought she would have to leave BU. But a faculty member advised her to speak with the dean, then George Makechnie (Wheelock’29,’31, Hon.’79). “The dean filled in the gap,” says Carolyn. “He wrote a personal check and gave me the promise of a job at camp.” Sargent Cares continues that legacy. “We are the parents in place for these kids, and it’s our responsibility to see them through,” she says. “Sargent did it for me. Now let’s do it for them.”
Sargent Speaker Series: Fall 2021 Sargent Town Hall: The state of the college September 9, 2021 6:30 pm EST Dean Chris Moore and Kelly Pesanelli (CGS'94, Sargent'96,'98), SCAA president and Sargent senior lecturer, discuss the state of the college as we move into a new academic year. We hope that you are able to join us for this virtual conversation.
Sargent’s Students: Reflections over a 40-year career November 3, 2021 6:30 pm EST Debbie Claar, assistant director of Academic Services at Sargent, has been supporting students at Boston University for the past 40 years. She has worked with direct entry, internal transfer, and external transfer students and has made lasting impressions on them. She is known and appreciated for her warmth as well as her knowledge. Debbie was the recipient of BU’s 2020 Professional Academic Advisor Award. In this virtual fireside chat session, Kelly Pesanelli (CGS'94, Sargent'96,'98), SCAA president and senior lecturer, will speak with Debbie about her experiences over the years. Please join us to listen to and acknowledge Debbie’s significant contributions to Sargent.
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