BU Wheelock’s Child Life & Family-Centered Care Program Celebrates 50 Years
BU Wheelock graduate students Maryam Albahar, Tzu-Yun (Alice) Chiu, and Victoria Lemieux, and faculty member Claire White
BU Wheelock’s Child Life & Family-Centered Care Program Celebrates 50 Years
Master’s student Maryam Albahar reflects on the recent celebration of this BU Wheelock program
It was an honor to be part of the recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Child Life & Family-Centered Care program at BU Wheelock, an event that marked how far the program has come since it was founded. The extraordinary Lucy Wheelock strove to support teachers’ education 135 years ago, and her legacy lives on, from instructors to students to practitioners everywhere. As part of the program, we carry on Lucy’s commitment to children and families.
With over 900 graduates across the United States and overseas, BU Wheelock’s Child Life & Family-Centered Care Program has touched countless lives. Graduates are employed in a variety of positions: supporting local hospitals and hospices, serving on disaster relief teams, working in international pediatric hospitals, providing training and supervision for students on different continents, and so much more. One can only wonder if Lucy Wheelock ever imagined her contribution to childhood education would enhance the level of pediatric healthcare services on such a global scale.
On a drizzling, overcast Saturday, BU Wheelock hummed with excitement and anticipation. As we entered through the doors of the event, we were greeted by BU Wheelock’s Child Life faculty: Ann Herzog, Carolyn Gallagher, Claire White, and Suzanne Graca. The fresh scent of coffee combined with chatter and laughs from the guests as old colleagues and friends reunited.
As guests continued to arrive, the excitement was palpable. Many of us were finally able to put faces to the names we had only heard of during our time at BU. It was an experience meeting and greeting generations of faculty members, professors, funders, and clinical educators. Looking at the sea of faces, a wonderful blend of young and old, new hires and retirees, fresh graduates and alums, we could see how priceless the Child Life world is.
We all took our seats in the main room. Dean Chard provided the opening speech and was followed by Claire White, who gave a moving speech filled with words of gratitude for the program’s contributors. Her words were met with laughter, cheers, and more than a few teary eyes.
As Claire said during her speech, there is no better way to celebrate this anniversary than to acknowledge the efforts of the program’s founding faculty—Stefi Rubin, Evelyn Hausslein, Marcia Hartley, Dinny Coleman, and Dick Thompson—as well as our current faculty. We’re grateful for everything they have done, and continue to do, for the Child Life & Family-Centered Care Program. Without their passion and dedication, we would not be here doing this work for children and families everywhere. It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime event and a day to remember.