Past and Present IOC Summer Fellows Speak to Upward Bound High School Students

Boston University Upward Bound is a federally funded program to prepare low income and first generation college bound students for success in higher education. Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education and Human Development runs the Upward Bound program for young people from Boston, who receive tutoring, take classes, and live on campus during the summer. This year, Dan Lesser (Questrom ’17), Emily Rackleff (Questrom ’19) and Jessica Bajada-Silva (CAS ’19) had an opportunity to meet with the 86 high school students enrolled in the program and talk about their experiences interning with the City of Boston as IOC Summer Fellows. Emily has been spending the summer interning for the Urban Mechanics team, supporting the Play Around the City project, creating new environments for young people to play in unexpected places. Jessica has been working with the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Racial Equity, supporting the implementation of Boston’s Resilience Strategy. Dan, now working as a Program Director with the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, also shared insight on the work of the Urban Mechanics, which serves as the city’s innovation office.