(From left) Alice Shea, Kyla McSweeney, Russ Hoyt, Cinique Weekes-Bynoe, Karen Lo, Nicole Homerin, and Zhongfeng Tian. Photo by Michael D. Spencer

Alumni

BU Wheelock Honors 2023 Alumni Award Recipients

The BU Wheelock community recently came together to honor seven alumni whose work has made a lasting impact in their community. The achievements of the recipients of the 2023 Alumni Awards include promoting social mobility in Maine, researching linguistic and cultural pluralism in education, preparing the next generation of school leaders, and improving the quality of early childhood education.

In a ceremony held during Boston University’s Alumni Weekend, the 2023 BU Wheelock Alumni Awards were presented to Zhongfeng Tian, Cinique Weeks-Bynoe, Kyla McSweeney, Karen Lo, Nicole Homerin, and Alice Shea. In addition, this year’s ceremony included a posthumous special recognition for Rick Hoyt.

“There’s no end to the incredible things that our alumni are doing once they leave BU Wheelock,” said Dean David Chard during introductory remarks. “[The award recipients] illustrate the kind of transformation we want to see in the kinds of systems where children and families are living and growing and developing.”

Watch the 2023 Alumni Awards ceremony and read more about this year’s recipients below. And check out a gallery of images from all of the BU Wheelock Alumni Weekend events.

Young Alumni Award

Zhongfeng Tian (Wheelock’16)

Zhongfeng Tian, an assistant professor of bilingual education at Rutgers University–Newark, conducts research on promoting cultural and linguistic pluralism in schools and society, drawing on his experiences as a trilingual Chinese scholar.

“There are so many people in our society, especially students from marginalized backgrounds, that have limited resources and opportunities because their own cultures and backgrounds are not fully valued. I want to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students, where they can survive and thrive with their multilingual talents.”

Zhongfeng Tian

Cinique Weekes-Bynoe (Wheelock’16)

An assistant principal at Brooke East Boston, Cinique Weekes-Bynoe is an accomplished school administrator who serves on the boards of several educational nonprofits and has trained Greater Boston teachers in teacher leadership development.

“I tell [my students] every day: There is no dream that’s too big . . . My mom said education is the key, and so far, I have been able to unlock so many doors with this key.

Cinique Weekes-Bynoe

Distinguished Contribution to Alma Mater & Alumni

Kyla McSweeney (Wheelock’94,’97)

Kyla McSweeney, the president of the Lucy’s Legacy Foundation, has a long history of supporting early childhood education—from working as a Head Start teacher in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to becoming the director of comprehensive system supports for the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

The Lucy’s Legacy Foundation is “doing the alumni grant program, and we urge all of you who are alumni of BU, to apply. . . . We also provide scholarships to BU Wheelock graduate students.”

Kyla McSweeney

Global Impact Award

Karen Lo (Wheelock’13)

Originally from Hong Kong, Karen Lo is a sport psychologist, author, and university lecturer who has supported athletes in their personal development all over Asia. As the first Certified Mental Performance Consultant of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, she strives to bring ethical sport psychology practices to Hong Kong and other Asian countries. 

“BU opened doors for me that I never dreamed possible, and I was able to go back to Hong Kong . . . and start my own private practice.”

Karen Lo

Trailblazer Award

Nicole Homerin, a disability activist and educator, works for Partners for Youth with Disabilities as an inclusion communities manager. She recently received the Steve Bartlett Award for her work as a disability advocate and leader. 

“When my father passed away in 2021, I realized that every loss I experienced, from my students to my family, taught me the importance of disability advocacy, inclusion, accessibility, and equity.”

Nicole Homerin

Lucy Wheelock Award

Alice Shea is an advocate for educational equity in Maine, where she collaborates with several state and local organizations to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality education and well-paying, meaningful jobs. Her goal is to promote social mobility among adult learners in Maine. 

“I support individuals who were traditionally pushed out into the margins of our community. My team and I work together to overcome barriers and challenges that society has placed in front of us.”

Alice Shea

Special Recognition

Rick Hoyt (Wheelock’93)

Rick Hoyt, who passed away last year, received a special posthumous award for his contributions to the community. Hoyt, who had cerebral palsy, completed a master’s degree in special education at Boston University—and ran in over 1,200 road races, including 35 Boston marathons. His brother Russ Hoyt accepted the special recognition on behalf of Rick’s family and the Hoyt Foundation. 

“Through running marathons and competing in triathlons with our father, my brother Rick helped the world see people with disabilities as people first. He made the world realize that people, regardless of their limits, can do incredible things.” 

Russ Hoyt