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BUILDING BRIMMER'S FUTURE
A letter from Judith Guild
Imagine yourself getting off the MBTA Green Line at the Chestnut Hill stop and taking a walk down Middlesex Road as the evening turns to night. On the fence stretched out alongside Brimmer’s field are words laced in bright solar lights, reading “We Are the Change.” Imagine seeing neighbors stopping to read the work and pondering the impact a Brimmer student might have in our world today.
Over the summer of 2023, Brimmer students in grades 6-12 read about courageous people who believed they could make a difference in our world. They used that summer inspiration to launch their own academic story as they worked to achieve their best throughout this year. Our students and teachers read how problem-solving, curiosity, critical thinking, and overcoming adversity can yield amazing results, and they learned how “Talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not” (Leila Janah). In this edition of Brimmer Magazine, you will read about how the themes of the summer reading project became evident this fall when Michael Finn-Henry ’18 shared his Brimmer story with our current students; he shared how his teachers believed in him, how failure did not define him, and how taking risks was a part of his everyday experience in the classrooms at Brimmer. I hope you find his story as inspiring as I do.
Because we believe that “talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not,” our mission upholds the importance of educating our students not only to embrace diversity but also to strive to be ethical citizens and leaders in our diverse world. You will read in this issue about Brimmer’s commitment to support its faculty as they seek educational equity and embrace diversity in their classrooms. You will read how this goal led us to embrace SEED training, “a peer-led professional development program that creates conversational communities to drive personal, organizational, and societal change toward greater equity and diversity.” In turn, those trained in SEED extended their professional learning experience on campus through a monthly training meeting.
In the winter months, members of our Development team and I traveled to visit alumni and listened to the rich and meaningful stories of being Brimmer-educated. As I listened to their perspectives, I was struck by their deep understanding of our world and its history, their strong connections with a diverse group of peers, and their desire to have a meaningful impact in life. As we approached spring, we began seeing the possibilities for the future of Brimmer as we launched our capital campaign, Building Our Tomorrow. You will read about our success in securing $25 million towards our ambitious goal of $26 million and the impact this will have on Brimmer’s mission. I am proud to say that Brimmer’s mission is alive and strong. I hope in the pages ahead, you will learn how Brimmer continues to fulfill its mission and have a positive impact on the lives of our students. ■
