Kicking off the new year with gratitude ✨🎉 Huge thank you to United Way and P&G for gifting the care package items, and to author Cosmo P. DeStefano for generously gifting copies of his book, Wealth Your Way to our scholars! #Gratitude #NonProfit #HigherEd #AcademicSky #EduSky #CommunityImpact

We’re closing out our Why I Give series with Louisa Jacquinto, whose words speak to the heart of Alray’s mission. As we wrap up this series, we invite you to join Louisa and so many others in supporting Alray Scholars. 🔗 Give today: alray.org/donate #HigherEd #WhyIGive #AcademicSky

Our next Why I Give spotlight features Doug Warren. Doug shares how Alray’s impact is deeply personal — not only through the mentoring scholars receive, but through the meaningful connections formed along the way.💙 #WhyIGive #AcademicSky #HigherEd #EduSky #BostonNonprofit

So many firsts! 💚🏀 Marvin and Scarlett attended their first Celtics game together, and Abby experienced her first basketball game ever — all thanks to the Boston Celtics Shamrock Dreams Foundation. Nights like these create memories that last a lifetime! ✨ #MentorshipMatters #CelticsFamily

Our Why I Give series continues with donor Ira Kronitz. His support helps remove financial barriers for students committed to completing their college degrees and building strong futures!💙 #EduSky #HigherEd #AcademicSky #CollegeCompletion #WhyIGive

Our next Why I Give spotlight features Karen Kafka. Karen believes in Alray’s purpose, pairing mentorship and financial support to help deserving students earn a college degree and build financial security, confidence, and brighter futures.💙 #MentorshipMatters #AcademicSky #HigherEd #WhyIGive

❄️ Season’s Greetings from Alray! ❄️ As we wrap up another impactful year, we’re deeply grateful to everyone who makes our mission possible. Please note that our office will be closed from December 24 through January 1. We’ll be back on January 2 for an exciting year ahead!🌟💙 #EducationNonProfit

Next in our Why I Give series, donor Lee Bertram highlights what makes Alray’s approach so powerful: combining mentoring with second chances. By supporting a program where scholars grow into mentors and leaders, Lee helps sustain a cycle of opportunity and impact.💙 #WhyIGive #MentorshipMatters

Alray has been selected as a 2026 SVP Boston Champion! 🎉 It’s an honor to be recognized alongside incredible community leaders and organizations working to expand opportunity across Boston. We’re grateful for the partnership and excited for what’s ahead!

Meet Keshia, an Alray graduate whose dedication to helping others has been with her long before college.💛 Read her full story here: alray.org/meet-alray-graduate-keshia/ #EduSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd #GraduateSuccess #MentorshipMatters #PayItForward #CollegeSuccess

Our next Why I Give spotlight features Meryl Kessler, a longtime Alray supporter and mentor. Thank you, Meryl, for investing your time, care, and generosity in our scholars.💙 #WhyIGive #MentorshipMatters #DonorSpotlight #AcademicSky #EduSky #HigherEd

Not every supporter chooses to be seen, but every supporter believes deeply in second chances. We’re grateful for all who support Alray, publicly or quietly, and help make college completion possible for students ready for a second chance.💙 #WhyIGive #Gratitude #DonorSpotlight #HigherEd #EduSky

We’re proud to spotlight Samira, an Alray graduate whose commitment to her education opened the door to a new level of stability, growth, and opportunity.🌟 Her full graduate success story is now available on our website: alray.org/meet-alray-graduate-samira/ #EduSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd

Today we’re highlighting donor Sol Gittleman. Sol believes deeply in the transformational impact of a college education and in Neil Swidey’s vision for helping students get a second chance to finish what they started. We’re grateful for his steadfast support of Alray💙 #DonorSpotlight

The Herb & Maxine Jacobs Foundation joins our Why I Give series by sharing why Alray fits so strongly with their mission: expanding access to education and career pathways for individuals from low-income backgrounds. Partners like them strengthen our work every day. 💙 #WhyIGive #Gratitude

Meet Alray graduate Shaquille, who’s now on the path to becoming a licensed therapist. 💙 “I felt like there was always someone to rely on… someone checking in. It made me feel safe in my academic journey.” Read the full story: bit.ly/4r19MTh #EduSky #AcademicSky #HigherEd #StudentSuccess

In our next Why I Give feature, donors Stephen Pratt & Kathleen Yazbak share how their own experiences with unexpected life twists guide their support for Alray Scholars. By giving, they help students turn obstacles into opportunities and build resilience that lasts a lifetime.💙 #DonorSpotlight

Happy Giving Tuesday! Today, we’re launching our "Why I Give" series by spotlighting donor Maryann Jackson. Her words remind us why this work matters, and why your support makes such a difference.💙 #GivingTuesday #BostonNonprofit #WhyIGive #DonorSpotlight #Gratitude

🏡 November Resource Review: Housing Support This month, we highlighted local housing resources, tenant support tools, and emergency assistance programs available to the Alray community. Check out our full resource guide on our website: alray.org/resource-page/ #StudentSuccess #StudentResources

What an unforgettable night for scholar Carmaissa and mentor Annalee!🏀 Thanks to the generosity of the Celtic's Shamrock Dreams Foundation, they got to experience the game courtside! 💚✨ #MentorshipMatters #BostonNonProfit #HigherEd #EduSky

We love seeing Alray mentorships grow into lasting friendships!🌟🍓 Alray graduate Esmeralda and her former mentor Sabs recently reunited for a strawberry picking outing. The two still make time each year to reconnect over apple picking too.🍎✨ #MentorshipMatters #StudentSuccess #HigherEd #EduSky

Scholar Tiana and mentor Victoria had a blast at last week's Celtics game!🏀☘️ It was Victoria’s first Celtics game and Tiana’s second. A big thank you to @celticsnba.bsky.social Shamrock Dreams Foundation for gifting tickets!💚 #MentorshipMatters #BostonNonProfit #HigherEd #EduSky #StudentSuccess

✨ Meet our new scholar-mentor pair: Lanaya & Alia! ✨ Lanaya is studying Sociology at UMass Boston, and she’ll be guided by her mentor Alia, an Alray Board Member who brings her experience and perspective to the mentoring relationship. #MentorshipMatters #HigherEd #EduSky #AcademicSky #NonProfit

A fall first! 🍎 Scholar Ashley went apple-picking for the first time with her mentor Victoria. We love seeing our scholar-mentor pairs connect and make memories!🍂✨ #MentorshipMatters #BostonNonProfit #HigherEd #EduSky

💫 Meet our new scholar-mentor pair: Erica & Genesis! Erica is studying Social Work at Simmons University. She’s paired with mentor Genesis, an LICSW and School Social Worker. We’re so excited to see them pair grow together! 💙 #AcademicSky #MentorshipMatters #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #EduSky

A huge thank-you to Board Member Nancy White for hosting a friendraiser in support of Alray! 💛 Thank you to everyone who joined us to help spread the word about our mission to support Boston students on their journey to completing college degrees. 🌟 #AcademicSky #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #EduSky

Meet our new scholar-mentor pair: Laurie & Michael! Laurie is studying Biology at UMass Boston. She’ll be supported by Michael, a graduate student at UMass Boston pursuing his Master’s in Molecular Biology. #AcademicSky #MentorshipMatters #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #EduSky #BostonNonProfit

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for our Alumni Council Social last Friday at the Alray office!💙✨ It was wonderful catching up, sharing ideas, and building connections with our amazing alumni. We can’t wait to see you at the next one! #AcademicSky #HigherEd #BostonNonProfit #EduSky

Meet our new scholar-mentor pair: Lynnette & Amrita! Lynnette is studying Nursing at Regis College, and with Amrita as her mentor, she’ll have guidance and encouragement as she pursues her goals in healthcare! #AlrayScholars #MentorshipMatters #StudentSuccess #Nursing #AcademicSky #HigherEducation

Last week’s Challenges & Community Roundtable brought Alray mentors and graduates together to share stories, tackle real-life scenarios, and strengthen our community. Big thanks to our amazing graduates for sharing your experiences and wisdom!🙌 #BostonNonprofit #AcademicSky #Education

✨ Meet our new scholar-mentor pair: Mileidy & Joshua! ✨ Mileidy is pursuing Nursing at Brockton Hospital School of Nursing, and she’ll be guided by her mentor Joshua, a returning mentor in the Alray community! #AlrayScholars #MentorshipMatters #StudentSuccess #Nursing #AcademicSky #HigherEducation

We’re so grateful to Board member Michele Carroll for opening her home and hosting a wonderful friendraiser in support of Alray! 💙 It was a great evening of conversation, connection, and community🌟 #AlrayScholars #Friendraiser #BostonNonprofit #AcademicSky #EducationNonProfit #HigherEducation

We’re excited to spotlight one of our newest scholar-mentor pairs: Rachelle and Filipe! Rachelle is pursuing a degree in Nursing at UMass Boston, and she’ll be mentored by Filipe, an Alray graduate who has returned to give back as a mentor. #AcademicSky #HigherEducation #EducationNonprofit

We’re grateful to have received a Make a Difference Dollars grant from the Cummings Foundation! Thanks to the Cummings Foundation & May Vaughn for believing in our mission and helping us grow our impact💙 #AlrayScholars #ScholarSuccess #CommunitySupport #AcademicSky #BostonNonProfit #HigherEducation

We’re proud to introduce one of our newest scholar-mentor pairs: Raily and Mark! Raily is pursuing a degree in Computer Science at UMass Boston, and he’ll be supported by his mentor, Mark, as he works toward his degree. #AcademicSky #HigherEducation #EducationNonprofit #BostonNonprofit

Thank you Parna for over 2 years of service on Alray’s Career Advisory Board! From sharing career insights to supporting our scholars and alumni, Parna has made a lasting impact on our community. We wish her the best in her next chapter! #AlrayScholars #CareerAdvisoryBoard #HigherEducation

We’re thrilled to introduce one of our new scholar-mentor pairs: Abigail and Hunter! Abigail is pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice at UMass Boston, and she’ll be guided by her mentor Hunter, a paralegal. Welcome to the Alray community, Abigail & Hunter! #HigherEducation #AcademicSky

Last night, we hosted an in-person resume review workshop! Students and alumni received live support to strengthen their resumes and prepare for future opportunities, while also connecting and networking with CAB members and peers. #AcademicSky #CareerAdvisoryBoard #ResumeWorkshop #Mentorship