Some people clean up the messes caused by society and some help prevent them from happening. You are one of the latter. The title of Founding Director of the Boys and Girls Club in Chelsea may sound glamorous but here is the reality. It began when, as an intern, you daily tracked down kids who had skipped school to encourage them not to drop out. It continued with going door-to-door to convince parents to send their children to your activities. Those took place in a single basement room, where despite the physical gloom, each child who entered was greeted as a valuable member of the community. After fifteen years of growing this program step by arduous step, you led the effort to raise twelve million dollars to build a facility worthy of the important work taking place inside. Having developed what was called a model Boys and Girls Club for the nation, you were appointed President and CEO of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, which connects each year with fourteen thousand at-risk youths – a number you have vowed to double. Just think of all the lives that would have been thwarted but have now been positively changed. No wonder that the Williams interns that we now send to you return awed by your quiet charisma. In recognition of your distinguished achievement in youth services, Williams College is proud to honor you with its Bicentennial Medal.
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