Wily’s 7th Annual Meeting of the Board
Why Wily? That’s the question board chair Katie Bramley asked at the 2022 Annual Meeting. Throughout the evening, we heard a variety of answers to the question. We heard about the sense of community and camaraderie at the first Wily Thanksgiving dinner, the supportive environment that Scholars build with one another, and the close relationships that Scholars form with their coaches.
“My coach reminds me that I belong…she encourages me to advocate for myself”
– Shalona, Northeastern University ’22
Endowment
We had the opportunity to hear from Dick Orenstein, a representative of the Daniel E. Offutt III Charitable Trust. The trust has made a generous gift of $750,000 to establish an endowment fund for Wily. As the fund grows, so will the sustainability of our organization and the stability we can offer Scholars.
“I’m here in my life, I’m about to graduate, because of the help of Wily. Them being there for me has made it possible for me to cross this bridge and to think about my future.”
– Bilal, Boston College ’22
Wily Champions
The Wily Champion Award is awarded to individuals who have been instrumental in the development and sustainability of the Wily Network. We were thrilled to present this year’s Wily Champion Award to Taylor Capuano and Mike Virginio, founders of Wily’s Young Professionals Association (YPA).
In the early days of the pandemic, when we were focused on meeting each new challenge that every day brought, Taylor and Mike were looking towards the future. They had a vision for a group of driven young professionals who would work to amplify Wily’s message, and in a short amount of time they transformed that vision into a reality. Today, the YPA uses their time, talent, and resources to support and raise awareness of Wily’s mission, increase the organization’s network and funding, and provide professional development opportunities for Scholars and association members.
“The greatest resource in Wily is the Scholars themselves. We utilize that. Knowing that you’re not alone is a very powerful thing in life.”
– Victor, Boston University ’22
Scholar Panel
Ed Walker, a member of Wily’s Advisory Council and the founder of the Independent Consultants of Education, moderated a panel discussion with three Wily seniors. Bilal, Shalona and Victor spoke about their experiences with our program, their journeys through college, and their upcoming graduations. Though all expressed appreciation for Wily, Ed pointed out that their openness and engagement enabled them to take full advantage of the program.
“Wily said yes, but you also said yes.”
– Ed Walker, Advisory Council
