Letter from the Executive Director
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Dear Friends,
What a year! Thank you for making 2018 a milestone year for the Wily Network. Here are some of the highlights:
- Wily coaches held 654 meetings with Wily Scholars.
- The Wily Network partnered with seven universities and colleges, including Boston College, Boston University, Bridgewater State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Middlebury College, Northeastern University and UMass Dartmouth, and will be adding one more this month!
- Wily volunteers assembled and delivered 150 care packages.
- Friends of Wily donated 421 gift cards worth $10,345.
- The Wily Network raised a total of $1,018,323.
Thank you for your connection to the Wily Network!
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Founder and Executive Director
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Wily Connects You to How College Works
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Please join us for
Wily Connects You to
How College Works
Sponsored by Blue Hills Bank
Presenting the
Kathy and Bill Parent Award
Featuring
Dan Chambliss, author of
How College Works
We hope you will join us for an informative and inspirational evening
about the college experience. We encourage you to bring friends.
To reserve your free tickets, please visit
Eventbrite
.
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Thank You to Our Event Sponsors:
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Scholar Panel at Our Annual Meeting
On January 7th, the Wily Network Board of Directors and Advisory Council gathered for the 4th Annual Board Meeting. The gathering began with a three-student panel moderated by Scholar Coach
Ana Ayobiojo
(see video below)
.
The students shared with the group what being part of the Wily Network has meant to them and the impact our programs have had on their college experience. They also offered some terrific ideas for future programs and events!
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The Board:
Back Row:
Kim Pappas, Allison Hirsch, Zach Martin, Michael Julian, Andy Rudzinski, Richard Zhang, Katie Bramley
Front Row:
Judi Alperin King, Kathryn Sargent, Don Bramley, Sara Miller
Missing:
Leann Walsh, Jennifer Schoen
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Welcome Emma, Our New Financial Aid Coach
In October, we welcomed
Emma Chavenson
as our new Financial Aid Coach. Emma works with our Wily Scholars on all of their financial matters, including FAFSA, taxes, education, and overall management of funds.
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Wily Fall Community Day
Scholars, Coaches and Staff had a fabulous time at Wily's first annual Wily Community Day, held at
Dedham Country Day School
on October 6. Team-building activities included Latin dancing, vision boards, pumpkin carving, and playing cards, to name a few. We were treated to a mindfulness workshop with
Chris Willard;
a photo shoot with DCD alumna;
Kristie Gillooly Dean;
and a delicious dinner donated by
Blue Ribbon BBQ
.
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Dining Out with Wily
We have 10 restaurants in our Dining Out with Wily program. Please be sure to visit these restaurants, and while you're there, thank them for supporting Wily!
Boston Public Market
,
Commonwealth
,
Contact
Ashley Linell
if you would like to introduce us to your favorite restaurant.
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We hosted our 3rd Wily Thanksgiving on November 18, with Scholars, coaches, board members and guests. Special thanks to
Wendy Berenson and Lisa Miller
for cooking with one of our students in preparation for this community event and to all of the bakers and volunteers who contributed.
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Thank You to Our Volunteers!
We had a very active fall, with numerous
I
ntro to Wily
and
Care Package
events hosted by enthusiastic volunteers. Special thanks to
Citizens Bank
, Katie Conway, Erin Epker, Gina Heaney, Michelle Norman, Katie Oakes (Citizens Bank), Kathy Parent, Sharisse Cail Perry, and Ellen Volpe for chairing care package events, and to all of the volunteers who donated personal items, home-baked goods and gift cards to create
80 care packages
for our Scholars.
Our
Gift Giving
program grew to include
36 volunteer gift givers
during the holidays.
Each gift giver provided gifts to one of our Scholars. This is a four-year commitment to sponsor gifts for a Wily Scholar for birthdays, Christmas (holiday), and graduation. Please contact
Ashley Linell
for more information about gift giving.
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Wily Holiday Activities
During winter break, Scholars enjoyed several group activities, including SkyZone, trips to the movie theater, Escape Room, and brunch in the city. A group of Scholars had the opportunity to tour the
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
with volunteer
Sydney Resendez
as well.
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Thank you to the
Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel
for hosting six Scholars for Christmas Eve dinner and an overnight stay in Boston. Scholars were treated to their own hotel rooms and a delicious brunch on Christmas morning.
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We rely on the strength of our Wily Network pack.
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Help us grow our network - Please SHARE our story!
#theWilyNetwork
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We always welcome donations of gift cards
to Amazon, CVS, Target, Uber, or Visa
for our Scholars.
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The Wily Network works with promising college students who have experienced life challenges such as foster care or homelessness, or whose parents may be dealing with addiction, mental health issues, or incarceration.
Our Vision
Establish the Wily Network on college campuses across New England to improve graduation outcomes for students navigating their college careers independently.
Our Mission
- To ensure our Scholars have the tools and networks necessary to thrive in four-year residential colleges.
- To empower our Scholars to transition successfully into post-college life and become vibrant members of their communities.
The Wily Network provides a critical safety net for these Scholars as they navigate college on their own. The Wily program offers weekly coaching, financial assistance, community-building support, and networking opportunities to help them move from surviving to thriving.
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