Mayor Menino visits Umana Academy, fields questions, outlines priorities

(East Boston, January 25, 2012) Seventh and eighth-graders at the Mario Umana Academy in East Boston received a special visit from local community and business leaders this morning.

Students and teachers welcomed Mayor Thomas M. Menino; Sheila Cavanaugh, senior vice president of Fidelity Investments, Gary Magnuson, EVP & Director of Commercial Banking of Citizens Bank; and Robert Boudreau, CEO of Wynter, Wyman & Company. The “Big Cheeses” read aloud to students and answered questions about their career and education. Students have an opportunity to ask the “Big Cheeses” to share information about their own goals and interests.

Pamela Civins, Executive Director of Boston Partners in Education said, “The Big Cheese Reads is a great opportunity to introduce middle school students to area business and community leaders. Today was special, as Mayor Menino took time out of his busy schedule to visit the Mario Umana Academy in East Boston where eighth grade students had a great conversation with him and got to ask any questions they had on their minds. For Boston Partners in Education, this is a key initiative that helps raise funds in support of our work in over 60 public schools around the City. It was a great morning for all involved!”

About Boston Partners in Education

Boston Partners in Education helps students in the Boston Public Schools who are struggling to succeed academically. We recruit, screen, and train volunteers who are matched with either one student or a small group. Students receive at least one hour of in-class support from the volunteers every week during the school year.

For more information, please visit: www.bostonpartners.org.


About The Big Cheese Reads

The Big Cheese Reads is celebrating its eighth year of connecting business and community leaders with middle school students in the Boston Public School system. “Big Cheeses” visit a middle school classroom once during the school year to read a short passage and emphasize the important link between literacy and career success. Over the past eight years, readers have visited thousands of students urging them to dream “big” and achieve their goals.


Funds raised through The Big Cheese Reads sustain and strengthen our three core programs: Math Rules!, Power Lunch, and the School Volunteer Program. Big Cheese sponsors have the opportunity to inspire not just one classroom of middle school students, but through their sponsorship, also ensure that thousands of students throughout the city of Boston receive the additional attention that is crucial to their success.

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