June 2021: EHSA President’s Message
Mike Thomas, Caitlin Murphy and Greg Hayes at Class of 2021’s Fenway Graduation
Spanning Our 200-Year History and Today’s Graduates
It never ceases to amaze me how accomplished our alumni are and from all walks of life too. Today, we’re privy to learn of a ‘man of the cloth’ who has served and survived wars as a Chaplain, providing comfort to wounded comrades; to a world-class NY Times Music Critic; to an English High and NC State Basketball Star. And going way back to the Civil War, we found an English High student who served in the 54th Regiment, the first Black fighting unit from the North….Netflix could not do better!
Fast forward to today’s English High students who became the first-ever pupils of the Oldest Public High School in America to graduate from the Oldest Ball Park in America, Fenway Park…what a sight it was! In case you missed it, NECN Channel 10’s Alison King captured it. See the article in this newsletter. We’re proud of many students who received scholarships to Babson, Simmons, Northeastern, Wentworth and Mass College of Pharmacy and Health, to name a few. Proud to be 200!
Some of those students earned The EHS Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center George Mavridis Scholarships for ”college essay writing”, kudos all around and read excerpts of their inspirational essays in this newsletter.
Last Friday EHSA celebrated Juneteenth with Boston’s Mayor Kim Janey where Tuskegee Airman, Lt. Col. Woody Woodhouse ’44, was front and center raising the Juneteenth Flag with Mayor Janey at City Hall. English High’s Drumline performed and alumni teemed everywhere. A special thanks to the Mayor for posing for photos and her endorsement letter inspiring the Boston Community’s investment in our 200th Anniversary on October 2nd. Who could ask for more?
Finally, we continue to bring classes of alums together with our Virtual Networking events–a big hit with some classes who long for connections to classmates. This month Malcolm Alter and Art Bowes are leading the charge to organize a Zoom Meeting for their 1964 classmates – read about it in the newsletter. If you’d like to be an organizer to bring your classmates together please reach out to the EHSA office and we’ll help you get the ball rolling.
Remember none of this is possible without your support! Our 200th Anniversary fundraising is well under way. Keep an eye out for your donation appeal letter in the mail soon so you can make a difference an English High student’s life.
Onward!
Mike Thomas’67
