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Assembly Honors MLK Through Commitment to Service

 
This week's Assembly honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not only through his inspiring words, but also through stories of BBA community members committed to service.

Humanities teacher and Service Learning Coordinator Jillian Joyce framed the narratives of one teacher and two students: Social studies teacher Sarah McMillian shared the story of her summer volunteer work at a respite center for immigrants seeking asylum in McAllen, Texas; junior Grace Cabasco shared the inspiration for re-starting the Students of Color Alliance as a support system at BBA; and senior Ayden Crispe related how her volunteer work on the Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department has changed her life through connection to her community.

McMillian shared how her work providing basic supplies for asylum seekers in Texas reinforced her belief that service work deepens our humanity: “Because service is grounded in human interaction, it provides an insight into who we are and who we want to be that is unmatched.”  

In the wake of the hate crimes and racism against Asian Americans during the pandemic, Cabasco sought her family and community support network and realized that this support made a big difference in how she could respond: “I discovered that just acknowledging an issue to get that weight off your chest surrounded by those who support you can even be the first step toward action.”  This experience led Cabasco to reignite the campus Students of Color Alliance (SoCA).

For Crispe, it took bravery just to get started in her community work for her local volunteer fire department, where as a young woman, she was nervous that she wouldn’t be accepted.  As she relays, her bravery in facing the discomfort was well worth it:  “Returning every week turned out to be one of my best decisions, as this intimidating place would become my home away from home.”

Though each had a unique story, the participants demonstrated the various ways we can move forward in the work of positive change.

Associate Head of School Meg Kenny provided some closing thoughts: “Our belltower and its spires serve to inspire our work and your learning; they remind us that a BBA education is more than the classes you take, the issues you explore and the skills that you develop.” 

“They remind us that it’s what you do with that skill and knowledge, the person you become and the impact you make, that matters most.”
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