Meet Our Honorees

While at Hofstra University, he was awarded approximately $1 million by the National Science Foundation to establish the first Robert Noyce Scholarship program for students who were interested in becoming secondary school mathematics or science teachers in urban or high needs schools. He was also a leader in securing a grant from New York State Education Department in the amount of $1.5 million for five years to establish the Teacher Opportunity Corps program at SUNY College. In addition, he provided professional development workshops for Grades 3–12 teachers in New York City and Long Island.

Upon graduating from Cuttington University in Liberia with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics with concentration in physics, he taught mathematics at Booker Washington Institute and was awarded a scholarship by the British government to study in the United Kingdom. While in England, he earned his Master’s degree in mathematics education from Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom; a Diploma in Advanced Studies in Mathematics Education from University of Bristol; and a Postgraduate Certificate in secondary school mathematics teaching from the University of Exeter in England. He immigrated to the United States from England and earned his Doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut majoring in mathematics education with concentration in curriculum development and assessment.

In 2011, he founded Education First, Inc. a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in rural and underserved communities in Liberia. Five years ago, his organization established an early childhood center and an elementary school in Harper, Liberia with 40 children. Currently, the school, Education First Academy, has approximately 350 students from Pre-K through Grade 9.
Dr. Stemn was elected to the Board of Directors of Friends of Liberia in 2013 and since then, he has served as Chair of the Grant Programs Committee.

GrowHope Foundation is honored to recognize Dr. Blidi Stemn for his hard work, devotion, and commitment to positively affect change in Liberia. Please join us as we honor and celebrate Dr. Stemn. Congratulations!!!

Vice President for Outreach and Engagement at Bridgewater State University (BSU).  Among other initiatives, she works closely with the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, seeking funding to scale the initiative to the national level so that children and families across the United States benefit from BSU’s leading edge work in combating bullying and cyber-bullying.  Dr. Haynes also serves as a Senior Advocate with Cape Cod Advocates for the Disabled where she assists disabled individuals in successfully navigating the bureaucracy.

For the last four years, Dr. Haynes has played an instrumental role at BSU in successfully competing for a major US State Department grant to host the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.  BSU has thus far welcomed 99 young African leaders from over 20 Sub-Saharan African nations to a six-week summer Institute focusing on public service leadership and management.  As honorary BSU alums, the Fellows return to their countries with the leadership insights and skills they will need to move their nations into a brighter future.

Having served successfully as Interim Dean of the College of Graduate Studies at BSU for over two years, Dr. Wendy Haynes assumed the role of Interim Assistant Provost for Global Engagement and Senior Internationalization Officer in 2017.  Always intrigued by systems for ensuring institutional accountability and sound strategic planning, she served for over 13 years in the Massachusetts Office of Inspector General (OIG), most recently as First Assistant IG for Megaproject Oversight.  She earned her doctorate in the Law, Policy, and Society Program at Northeastern University and joined the Department of Political Science at BSU in 2004.

In 2006, Dr. Haynes became president of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA), the premier professional association for scholars and practitioners in the field of public administration. Under her leadership, the BSU MPA program earned accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) in August 2009 to become the first public program in Massachusetts to achieve that status.

Please join us as we recognize her Exceptional Leadership and Devoted Service and Commitment to positively affect change locally and globally. Congratulations!!!

partners to adopt schools and classrooms, and offer in-kind and other services to bridge and fill financial and other gaps for Brockton’s close to 17,000 students and 2,000 faculty, staff, and administrators.

Superintendent Smith earns continual distinction as a sought after speaker, both locally and nationally, on issues of poverty and Brockton’s success at narrowing the achievement gap for students at all levels. Her vision for leading a successful 21st-Century school district includes excellence in instruction and student achievement as a primary objective where she believes all children can learn and every teacher can and must contribute.

Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor’s degree in special education and elementary education from Westfield State University, a Master’s degree in guidance counseling from Bridgewater State University, and a Juris Doctorate from New England Law Boston.

In 2018, she was awarded the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association’s Superintendent of the Year as well as the President’s Award from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.  In 2019, she received the Bobbie D’Alessando Leadership Award from the Women’s Educational Leadership Network of MASS.

Superintendent Smith was employed in the Brockton Public Schools for 42 years, She began her career as an elementary school special education and Title I teacher, and then served as a school adjustment counselor, a Communities and Schools for Career Success entrepreneur, a MCAS Manager, Director of Community Schools, and a visiting professor teaching Education and the Law through Fitchburg State University followed by her appointment as Superintendent, the first woman to hold the position.

This year, GrowHope Foundation is privileged and honored to recognize Ms. Kathleen A. Smith for her hard work, devotion, and commitment to positively affect change in our communities, especially in the City of Brockton, MASS. Congratulations!!!

Over his 25-year career supporting people with disabilities, Dan has brought a creative approach to everything he touches. Since 2004, Dan has overseen the growth of his current organization, NuPath, from a $3 million agency supporting fewer than 50 people to an industry leader that now serves close to 500 people with with an annual operating budget exceeding $22 million.

Dan is enthusiastic about developing technologies and the role they will play in generating transformative outcomes for his industry. His latest project called Navigating Life® is an all-in-one app that empowers agencies to keep families, staff, and clients connected throughout their day. Dan believes this innovation holds great promise for the industry and will promote a greater sense of community and enhanced personal choice, accessibility, transparency, and safety for people living with disabilities.

Dan sits on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Association for Developmental Disabilities (ADDP), and is actively involved with the ADDP Communications, Member Engagement and Staff Training & Conference Committees. He persistently challenges himself and those around him to pursue bold outcomes and to reject the status quo, believing that much more is possible for people living with disabilities.

Dan’s personal conviction that the promise of the future is constrained only by our imagination is reflected through his agency’s vision to “create a world in which people with disabilities live with dignity and respect.”

Please join us as we honor and celebrate Mr. Daniel Harrison, President and CEO of NuPath, Inc. for his hard work, devotion and commitment to positively affect change in our communities. Congratulations!!

in order to foster loyalty, interest, and support for the school, and to provide the school the special perspective and support of alumni in its life and growth.”

BWHESAA-USA, Inc. was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the State of Delaware in 1992.The 1st Convention was held in 1993 in White Oak, Maryland, where a constitution was adopted and the first National Officers elected. Subsequently, the Association was granted status as a 501 c(3) organization by the Internal Revenue Service in 1998.

The B. W. Harris Episcopal School Alumni Association-USA, Inc. is comprised of the following chapters: DC Metro (Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland); Penndel (Delaware, Pennsylvania); Tri-state (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut); Georgia, Texas, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and Minnesota.

The Rev. Fr. E. G. W. King, Jr. Scholarship Program is a core purpose of BWHESAA-USA, Inc. Over the last 26 years, BWHESAA-USA, Inc. has granted scholarships to several hundred students through the program without discrimination of race, religion, creed, gender, or age, expending several hundred thousand dollars.

The Association has made academics central to its activities and provides funding and support to the school’s science and computer labs, auditorium chairs, the kindergarten, clinic, and intensive teacher training. Numerous academic supplies and instructional materials have been shipped to the school over the years. A Digital Archives Information System (DAIS) was instituted by the Association to preserve the records of the Association and permit full access over the Internet to members of the Association and the public.

BWHESAA-USA, Inc.’s Capital Campaign has raised over $100,000 for the Endowment Fund which was designed for the benefit of the students of B. W. Harris. The Capital Campaign also raises funds for special projects.

GrowHope Foundation is honored to recognized the B. W. Harris Episcopal School Alumni Association-USA, Inc. for their hard work, devotion and commitment to positively affect change in Liberia. Congratulation!!

and has connected many from Brockton to the work of the University.

Prior to her role at Bridgewater State University, Mary served for eight years as the Executive Director of the Brockton 21st Century Corporation (B21), the city’s economic development agency. Since its inception in 1993, she is the first female executive of B21.

While at Brockton 21st Century, Mary managed all of the economic development activities, including facilitating a Small Business Program for the City of Brockton, as well as landlord responsibilities of the Campanelli Stadium and the Shaw’s Center. She also originated and organized two Economic Summits for the City with public and private stakeholders, two Brockton Business Diversity Celebrations and the THRIVE Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding small businesses in the city. In addition, she served on the Executive Committee and was a member of the Downtown Brockton Association and Mayor’s Economic Advisors committee.

Mary continues to serve as Chair of the Old Colony Planning Council’s CED’s Committee which provides a strategy for the region. Other professional activities include positions on SEED Corporation’s Board of Directors and member of the Micro Loan committee, Signature Healthcare Brockton Board of Trustees, and the Massachusetts Economic Development Council and most recently was appointed in September by Governor Charlie Baker as a member of the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC).

In 2013, she received the Gateway Cities Innovation Award MassInc.; in 2014, the Metro South Chamber’s Athena Award; in 1997, the Woman of the Year Award from the Brockton Women’s Commission; and in 2017, the Fox25 Hometown Hero Award. She is one of the founders of the Red White and Black Ball, a celebration of Brockton held at City Hall over a 6 year span. She completed her first PMC ride in August 2018, raising close to $9,000 for cancer research. She is a proud member of the Brockton Rotary Club.

Her philanthropic work is focused on Brockton. She is co-founder with her daughter Casey, of the Just Checking In Foundation, in memory of her late husband John where over $100,000 has been raised over 6 years with funds providing many high school and college scholarships, support of Brockton charities, and funding Operation Wreaths for Veterans.

This year, GrowHope Foundation is privileged and honored to recognize Mrs. Mary Waldron for her hard work, devotion and commitment to positively affect change in our communities. We want to thank for your work and sincerely appreciate all you are doing and continue to do.