For 12 years, Ashley L. has been a bright, positive, and loving presence at Friends of the Children – Boston. This year, we are incredibly proud to celebrate her as an outstanding program graduate and as a young woman who has fearlessly pursued her dreams and is now watching them become reality.

From an early age, Ashley knew exactly where she wanted to go: Boston Arts Academy. Rather than simply hoping, she took concrete steps toward that goal, participating in a dual enrollment program, taking college-level coursework while still in high school, and earning her place.

“She is determined,” says Analisa Fazio, a School Counselor at Boston Arts Academy. “When she has something in her mind that she wants to accomplish, she does not hesitate to take those steps to accomplish those goals.”

Though she once considered herself shy and introverted, Ashley has learned to embrace her own voice. Her professional mentors–called Friends–have watched her step into the spotlight and become a talented vocalist and visual artist.

“I remember her becoming the lead singer of our band when she was much younger than she is now,” says Yi-Chin Chen, Executive Director of Friends of the Children – Boston. “The way that she commanded the stage… standing up there completely fearless, singing a song in front of hundreds of people. A lot of the time, I look at her and I say there’s nothing that she can’t do.”

That same determination carried her through one of the biggest milestones of her journey: applying to college. Taking a passion for music and visual arts to the next level requires an immense amount of work, and Ashley did not have to navigate that path alone.
“I wanted to focus on art as a career because I was always interested in it,” Ashley explains.

When it came time to look at higher education, her professional mentor, Maricela, was there every step of the way. Maricela helped Ashley navigate the complex application process for 10 different art and design schools. Together, they created a dedicated space for the work to happen, sitting at local cafés to compile and submit portfolios, complete homework, and polish college essays.

Today, Ashley has been accepted into her top-choice programs, including: School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and the School of Visual Arts.

“It’s not every day that you get to see a young person make their own dreams come true,” says Chloe Frankel, a former professional mentor and Assistant Director of the Adolescent Cohort.

For Ashley, the shyness she once saw as a limitation has become something she can shape and grow—one smile, one song, one bold step at a time. As she heads to art school, she carries with her the confidence that comes from being believed in, and from 12+ years of someone showing up, no matter what.

“She is as bright, as positive, as loving as any person can be,” says Yi-Chin Chen. “She has my heart.”