Dear Friends of the Wily Network,
When I reflect on my time as a part of Wily, I often feel overwhelmed. I begin to list in my head the numerous resources I received and even more than that, the opportunities I have had because of them. I think of the generous financial “safety net,” the school essentials that often fell to the bottom of my own priority list, the electronics that were integral to my academic success, and small gifts for every accomplishment to remind me that my hard work should be celebrated!
And though this list is great in length, these are not the greatest gifts I received while I was at Wily. The people--coaches, staff, and Scholars--are the true reason Wily has been such an overwhelming blessing for me. Each person I have had the privilege of welcoming into my life, even if for a brief moment, is a priceless gift from Wily. My coach, Susan, alone has been one of the best parts of my Wily experience, if not my whole college experience. She, as well as every other member of Wily, came with a silent understanding, gentle guiding hand, and constant reassurance. Susan and the whole Wily ‘pack’ has been with me for many of my "firsts" and have added excitement to each one.
Wily added so much to my time at Boston University. I will actively give back to to this organization, because I want to change the lives of others in the same way Wily changed mine.
Thank you, Wily!
Olivia
Wily Scholar, Boston University ‘19
|
|
Gift Card Program
The end of the academic school year brings many challenges to our Scholars as they face gaps in housing throughout the summer and a lack of funds to feed themselves. Campus dorms and cafeterias are often closed, creating a housing crisis and food insecurity for our Scholars.
This is where Wily and YOU can step in to make a difference!
We welcome
G
ift Cards
to groceries stores, local eateries, etc. to help our students make ends meet this summer. Below is a list of related articles if you’d like to read more about the obstacles our students face:
|
|
|
In-Kind Donations Welcome!
Support our Wily Scholars by fulfilling
Wily’s Back-to-School Wishlists
on Amazon. Show extra support by using Amazon Smile and setting your charity to the Wily Network.
Although summer has just begun, we are already looking ahead to the new school year. We will be welcoming 15 new students this fall to reach a total of 50 Scholars. Please help us fill their dorm rooms with essential items from our
Dorm Room Set Up Wishlist
.
Like their college peers, Wily Scholars sometimes get sick and need over-the-counter health items. For health and wellness donations, please visit our
Wellness Package Wishlist
.
|
|
|
Wily Graduation
This spring, we celebrated the graduation of four Wily Scholars. Davae (Northeastern) will be working for an architecture firm in Boston. Jessica (MIT) plans to travel extensively and find work in one of the many places around the world that she intends to visit. Olivia (Boston University), a double major in Arabic and Statistics, will be working for the Department of Defense. Skye (Northeastern) is working for a talent optimization company in Boston. We are very proud of our graduates!
|
|
|
Thank you
to Annie Montesano, Hilary Steinert and their team of volunteers, who generously donated graduation gifts for our Scholars. The gifts were presented at a graduation dinner we held for the graduates and their coaches hosted by
West on Centre
in West Roxbury on April 22. The gifts included Patagonia duffle bags, journals, toiletry kits and books. Davae, Jessica, Olivia and Skye were thrilled to receive the beautiful gift bags filled with thoughtful and meaningful items to commemorate the milestone of their graduation from college.
|
|
Wily Summer
After a busy academic year, our Scholars are gearing up for a summer of paid internships, co-ops and study abroad programs. Six Scholars are interning in California at Apple, Autodesk, Black Rock, Facebook, Lyft and California Environmental Associates. Three Scholars are interning in New York City at D.E. Shaw, Columbia University and a start-up media company. One of our Scholars is interning in Japan
and another is working in Mexico
. Other students are travelling abroad through Northeastern University’s
Dialogue of Civilizations
program in China, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, India, and Jordan.
|
|
Wily Spring Community Day
On April 6, the Wily community came together at
Oficio
on Newbury Street for workshops, team-building activities and a delicious lunch of cultural dishes donated by
The Soul Project
. Scholars spent time discussing wellness with Coach Ana, gained access to a valuable life-skills tool when Operations Coordinator Becca presented the website
Real World Playbook
, and engaged in rich conversations about “How to Tell Your Story” with Brandon Lovell and Jonathan Mason from Harvard Business School. They also enjoyed fresh air and a photoshoot in the Boston Public Garden with professional photographer
Kristie Dean
.
|
|
Dining Out with Wily
Monthly Dining Out with Wily Scholar dinners were hosted by local restaurants:
When you dine at any of these restaurants, please thank them for supporting Wily!
|
|
|
Fund-A-Scholar
Our Fund-A-Scholar (FAS) program has grown dramatically in the first six months of 2019! Thank you to all of the FAS donors who support our program and our Scholars with an annual gift of $12,500 for four years. To date, 35 of our Scholars are funded by 12 FAS donors. We are so grateful for these leadership gifts that sustain our program.
If you are interested in learning more about FAS, please contact
Ashley Linell
.
|
|
Wily Receives $25,000 Grant from TPC
We are proud to announce Wily was among 10 non-profits awarded a grant by The Philanthropy Connection. TPC's mission is to inspire, teach, and enable women to engage in collective philanthropy in order to provide grants to charitable organizations that improve the quality of life for under-served individuals and families living in Massachusetts. We are proud to be among such a talented group of mission driven leaders.
We look forward to working with the Philanthropy Connection over the next year.
Congratulations to all of the 2019-2020 TCP grantees:
|
|
Thank you to our Wily Volunteers
|
|
Care Package Events
Volunteers have been busy creating care packages for our Scholars throughout the year. Thank you to our care package chairs and to all of the donors who contributed to the Care Package Program by generously donating items.
|
|
Valentine’s Day Chairs
: T.K. Ankner and sons, Blake and Spencer, and
The Fessenden School,
and Annie Montesano and Hilary Steinert
Spring Exam Chairs
: Lisa Peros, Katie Oakes and Citizens Bank of RI, Kim Pappas, Leigh Miller, and Melissa Smith
|
|
|
|
Gift Giving Program
Our Gift Giving program continues to grow as we welcome new Scholars to Wily. Each Scholar is paired with a volunteer gift giver who provides holiday and birthday gifts for four years. Thank you to all of our gift givers.
If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities, please contact
Ashley Linell.
|
|
|
|
Wily Fundraisers
Thank you to Wily fundraisers Katie Conway and Abby Hartford! With the help of her daughters, Mazie and Annie, Katie held a cookie fundraiser for Wily with proceeds of $1,115.
Abby Hartford held a fundraiser in honor of her 10th birthday, which raised $350 for Wily. We appreciate these creative ways to support Wily and spread the word.
|
|
|
We rely on the strength of our Wily Network pack.
Please consider making a gift.
|
|
Help us grow our network - Please SHARE our story!
#theWilyNetwork
|
|
|
|
|
|
|