The Blue Wagon Alumni Newsletter – March 2013
Inside This Issue Amuse Bouche & Announcements A Bittersweet Farewell from Chad Butt Mentoring Match Spotlight: River & Avalon Champlain College Crowns Iron Chefs of 2013 Bright Horizons Ahead for High School Seniors First Annual Lowell Richards Fellowship DREAM Dopplegangers
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AMUSE BOUCHE By Adam Goldfarb, Alumni Council President Hi DREAMers, If you're receiving this for the first time, I'd like to welcome you to the DREAM Alumni Organization! Congratulations on being a member of this fine group of people, filled with DREAMers who want to stay actively connected to the program in which they were so deeply involved in college. It's great to have you. You'll be hearing more from me, your Alumni Council president, in the weeks and months to come, but for now you can always reach out to me directly at the email address below. In the meantime, we've got a great Blue Wagon for you to (virtually) thumb through! On a personal note, I know I speak for so many DREAMers when I say THANK YOU to Chad Butt for all his years with the program. His vast stores of energy, compassion, intellect, and hoops skillz contributed in more ways than he can possibly know to the success of DREAM over the years, and while we're sad to see him go, we can't wait to see what he does next to change the world for the better. Stay DREAMin', Adam Goldfarb DREAM Alumni Council President
ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. On March 7, 2013 Liz (17) and Andrew (16) Daniels, of the Windsor/Union Square DREAM Local Program, were in a serious car accident with their father, Corey Daniels. Mr. Daniels was fatally injured. Everyone in the DREAM community respectfully mourns the loss of a longtime DREAM parent. Liz was hospitalized for serious injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery. Andrew was admitted for observation and released the next day. Dartmouth College mentors are currently planning a fundraising campaign to support the family in the coming months. Please stay tuned for further details on how to donate, or you may also reach out to Kate (kate@dreamprogram.org), the current Windsor PED. 2. DREAM Inc. recently completed its 2012 Annual Appeal (separate from our Annual Alumni Appeal), and thanks to the generosity of donations from 215 friends and community supports of DREAM, the appeal was able to raise $105,000, surpassing $100K for the second year in a row. As an Alumni Organization which continues to grow each year (hello graduating seniors!), I hope next year we can continue to increase our efforts to keep pace with our non-Alumni friends. As a thank you to all of this year’s donors, the Office created a short animated slideshow, found here: http://dreamprogram.org/about/announcement/thank-you-all-our-2012-annualappeal-donors. 3. DREAM is hiring for Summer Community Interns! The deadline to apply for our Summer Community Internship Program is April 1, 2013. Visit the Work with Us page for more information about available positions and for information about how to apply. If you have application questions or would like to let us know that you intend to apply, please e-mail Kate @ kate@dreamprogram.org. 4. Middlebury College will be hosting “RAISE THE VOLUME”, an annual benefit concert with performances by Anya Marina, on April 6th at 8pm at the McCullough Social Space. All ticket proceeds will be donated to DREAM, and are available at the Middlebury box office (boxoffice.middlebury.edu).
A Bittersweet Farewell By Chad Butt, Boston Programs Director Hey DREAMers! After an amazing nine years working in the DREAM office, I will be moving on at the end of April to become the Executive Director of Mobius, Vermont’s mentoring partnership. It has been a privilege to work for DREAM and see the organization expand from just a handful of Local Programs to where it is today. DREAM has truly changed my life. The past four years working to start-up our first regional office in Boston have been amazing and I can’t wait to see the Boston area DREAM Office continue to expand to work with more communities, colleges, and youth. Please help us spread the word about the Boston Program Director job opening. The job description can be found on the website: http://dreamprogram.org/about/employment/program-director-boston. To apply submit a resume and cover letter to recruit@dreamprogram.org by April 14th. If you have any questions about the position don’t hesitate to reach out to me (chad@dreamprogram.org) or Rachel (rachel@dreamprogram.org). Keep DREAMing! -Chad
Mentoring Match Spotlight: River & Avalon By Mike Ewan, Vermont Program Director She calls him Spike and he calls her Rainbow. River, age 6, and Avalon are a mentoring pair with the Northwoods/Dartmouth College Local Program. River and Avalon exemplify a mentoring match that is comfortable and safe, but that also balances constructive risk taking and broadens the worldview of a young DREAM mentee. Northwoods DREAM exemplifies the Village Mentoring model by focusing on one-on-one time during DREAM Fridays (regular on-campus mentoring sessions), as well as hosting community dinners and homework club. Last week Avalon and River went to the Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vermont in addition to the Northwoods DREAM Friday. River has been to the interactive science museum three times with DREAM, but says “I got to show off all the best ones to Avalon.” He pointed out to Avalon all his favorite exhibits, including the monarch butterfly display and the gravity well. At the arts & crafts station they made a memory box of the things they like to do together and plan to store pictures in the box as they continue to experience different activities in the Upper Valley. Avalon described her experience with DREAM. “I really love working with DREAM because it builds a sense of community where all of the mentees and mentors really care for and get to know each other. Even though River and I haven't been paired together for that long, I really love working with him. We have fun no matter what we are doing—playing sports, reading and doing homework, or just talking.” River confidently stated, “The best part of DREAM is having fun. And also getting away from my sisters.” During one-onone time, River and Avalon also enjoy baking delicious treats, competing against each other in basketball, and playing Go Fish. Together Avalon and River represent the importance of a one-on-one DREAM mentoring relationship.
Champlain College Crowns Iron Chefs of 2013 By Paul Bahan & Chef Sandi Earl, DREAM Supporters On the night February 28th, four teams comprised of Champlain College faculty and staff members, DREAM mentors and Sodexo employees battled it out for this year’s coveted title of Iron Chef. The culinary theme was Mardi Gras. Each team developed authentic menus and spent the afternoon in the openconcept kitchen of the IDX Dining Hall preparing great southern dishes that included ingredients like: alligator, shrimp, crawfish, mac and cheese with truffle and chicken. Then, just to add a little fun to the mix, two hours before the doors open for the event, Chef Sandi Earle announces a “secret ingredient” that each team must incorporate into their menu. This year the ingredient was Vermont Fresh Pasta Company’s Ramen Noodles, giving the menus a “local” twist. As evening service time drew near, the teams donned Mardi Gras costumes, decorated their service stations and took their places. Once the doors to the dining hall opened it was “no holds barred!” Teams used all types of tactics to cajole, entice and convince customers to try their food and then cast a vote for them as the top choice of the evening. At the end of the event, ballots were counted and recounted under the watchful eye of the teams and their supporters. In the end, for the first time ever, it was a TIE! The Admissions Team, calling themselves “Gator Done”, serving fried Alligator and “Fife Dawg” last years winner’s, serving a Pulled Pork slider, shared this years honors.
Special thanks go out to all of this year’s participants and those who have supported this event over the years. Unit Chef, Sandi Earle, Sodexo lead for the event from its inception, has played a large part in its success. Sadly, this was the final year for Iron Chef at Champlain. An intense amount of work goes into it each year and the event is rapidly outgrowing the space. Champlain College is beginning an expansion project in the coming year with a completion target of two years. Iron Chef may find a new home and rise again! Until then, Chef Sandi and her team will continue to support DREAM, but on a smaller scale. Job well done Champlain!
Bright Horizons Ahead: DREAM’s High School Seniors By Mike Ewan, Vermont Program Director Each year, as December draws to a close and a new year begins, aspiring high school graduates find themselves making many decisions about their move to the “real world.” High school seniors may be applying to college, waiting on one particular acceptance letter, preparing for the military or searching for jobs to support their future choices. For DREAM mentees, this time includes discussions with mentors, stress-filled moments of thought and for some, anxious waiting. In June 2013, The DREAM Program anticipates that 17 mentees will graduate from their respective high schools in Vermont and the Boston area. Many of these mentees have been waiting for this moment for years and have worked extraordinarily hard to make this milestone a reality. For many, DREAM has played a large part in this process, and their mentors and Local Programs have been a source of consistent encouragement.
Keziah and her mentor.
For one young lady, DREAM was able to contribute an additional experience that has provided at least one option for her post-high school life. DREAM's College Road Trip program takes a small group of mentees approaching their high school graduation on a multi-day tour of colleges in a region close to their homes. In 2012, six mentees traveled throughout New Hampshire, Maine and the Boston area to look at four year public and private institutions, and community colleges. In keeping true to the spirit of DREAM, they also stopped to have a little fun along the way at an amusement park, beaches and at local landmarks.
Keziah Jackson visited Lasell College in Newton, MA on that trip. Upon her return, she added Lasell to her list of prospective schools, and just a few weeks ago, she received an acceptance letter. Adding to the excitement, Keziah was honored as one of Lasell's Community Service Scholars. Throughout the winter Keziah, who has been a mentee in the Northwoods/Dartmouth College Local Program since 2008, has continued to participate in DREAM and has also been accepted to Howard University in Washington, DC. She is currently waiting to hear from her first choice, Duke University. Another DREAM mentee has his sights set on a future in the military. Wayne Bourne, who started as a mentee in the Elm Street/University of Vermont Local Program in 2003, Wayne. is on track to graduate from Milton High School. In 2004 Wayne was a founding mentee in the Birchwood/Champlain College Local Program and his mentors from Champlain College have supported him throughout his high school career. Wayne plans on joining the United States Army upon his graduation. He is currently working on his last few requirements prior gaining an assignment for basic training. Wayne credits his conversations with his mentors over the years for helping him on his journey through high school and for being a sounding board as he planned his future. He hopes to work with heavy equipment or in construction while with the Army. High school graduation can provide an opportunity to explore new places, as Keziah and Wayne plan to do, but for other DREAM mentees, staying close to home is the best option. Jake Learned, a mentee in the Franklin Street/University of Vermont Local Program since 2005, will graduate from Winooski High School and is planning on staying in Vermont for college. He recently received his first acceptance letter, from Castleton State College. In the meantime he has been blogging actively, working as a moderator for the music review website rapgenius.com.
Jake and his dad at Senior Night.
While these three mentees boast exciting stories to share, along with plentiful futures, they are not the only success stories from The DREAM Program. Look for upcoming announcements as we celebrate all our graduating mentees and their futures after high school.
Kate Cahalane - Inaugural Lowell Richards Fellow By Christopher Blagg, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership
The Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership is proud to announce the inauguration of the Lowell L. Richards, III Fellowship for Leadership and Public Service, created in honor of the longtime Co-Chairman of its Board of Directors and his twenty-nine year dedication to the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP)’s mission. The fellowship award was given this past month on March 15, Lowell Richards’ birthday. He passed away just over a year ago in February of 2012. In this first inaugural year, MBHP is awarding the fellowship to Kate Cahalane, a Hanover, MA resident, future DREAM Alumnus, and graduating senior at the University of Vermont. The fellowship, an eight-week internship beginning in June, is being hosted by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). Cahalane will be working in their Economic Planning and Development department, where Richards served as Director for more than ten years. The fellowship’s goal is to encourage young leaders to pursue a career in public service, specifically in urban development, and issues related to affordable housing. Ms. Cahalane was chosen for her leadership skills and experience, along with her academic excellence and passion for public service. She is thrilled to be chosen for the fellowship. “It is an incredible honor to receive the Lowell Richards Fellowship, and I am very much looking forward to working with Massport and MBHP in the coming months,” said Cahalane. “This fellowship will honor Mr. Richards in a very special way by continuing to promote the kinds of projects to which he was so deeply committed.” After the fellowship, Cahalane plans to become a member of Americorps and eventually earn her masters degree in urban planning. For this inaugural year, fellowship nominees were chosen from students taking part in the Boston and Vermontbased DREAM Program, a youth mentoring program which Lowell was passionate about. Cahalane’s exemplary work as a youth mentor in DREAM factored heavily in her being awarded the fellowship. Michael Foote, one of DREAM’s founders and a relative of Lowell, is overjoyed by DREAM’s participation in the fellowship. It was Lowell who provided mentorship to Michael and helped him launch the fledgling organization. “Lowell believed in DREAM’s mission, which is to provide mentors and new opportunities for some of the most vulnerable youth in Boston,” says Foote. “My hope is that through this Fellowship and by drawing on DREAM college student mentors who have a passion for social justice, affordable housing, and urban development, we can continue Lowell’s work in mentoring young civically-minded leaders.” It is fitting that Massport will host the first Lowell Richards Fellow, as Lowell gave so much of this time, experience and wisdom to the organization over the years. “We are very pleased to be the host site for the first fellow of the Lowell Richards Fellowship,” says Jim Doolin, acting Chief Development Officer at Massport. “Lowell was a visionary leader, city builder, and dedicated to public service.” Karen Richards, Lowell’s wife, has been heavily involved in the conception of the fellowship and is grateful her husband’s legacy will live on through assisting in the education and career of students. “The thing Lowell cared most about in the world was helping young people,” says Karen. “If there was a young person in the room, he wanted to know them, listen to them, and encourage them. Through the Fellowship, Lowell has brought MBHP, Massport and DREAM together to launch the next generation of ‘bright young leaders’ in public service.” Kate Cahalane with Mike Foote accepting her inaugural fellowship.