The latest Pathfinder to join Boston Partners in Education in the classroom is Gary Prado. Gary is Senior Legal Counsel at Fidelity Investments and a former Big Cheese Reader. Students in Ms. Nucci’s 3rd-grade class at the Hernandez School were over the moon to receive the Roxbury native. Gary started his visit off by introducing himself and giving the students the option to choose which language they would like to hear/speak. The Hernandez school is a dual language school, so students learn in both English and Spanish, no matter which language they speak at home. Teachers, staff, and students all speak both languages, and all instruction is blended. Gary, who is fluent in both Spanish and English, was happy to speak Spanish during his time with the class.
Gary is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and has taught Constitutional Law at Burke High School, so he is very comfortable working with students. The students prepared a series of questions for Gary about his life from childhood to the present. Students asked Gary why he wanted to become a lawyer, to which he responded that he was interested in solving problems. When students asked who encouraged him, Gary shared that although his mom wasn’t a lawyer, she was his inspiration, because “she made [Gary] want to do better.” Students were also interested in Gary’s home life; he shared that he has two children and that his wife is a teacher at the Hernandez, known to many of the students. Students later asked if Gary’s life was hard, to which he replied, “It was hard to become a lawyer and things don’t always work out, and you have to work hard to get what you want.” BPIE programs like Pathfinders serve to connect students to a variety of career pathways, and BPS graduates like Gary are particularly strong role models in showing current BPS students what they can accomplish through education and perseverance.
When the interview concluded, Gary had more time to give, which he spent reviewing the poems the class was working on for a school-wide respect assembly. Gary was happy to give the students feedback and encouragement on their poems, and the students enjoyed sharing with him.
This year’s Pathfinders visits included Dr. Anne Antonellis, Dr. Nina Marlowe, Jason Burrell, and more. We hope to bring more Pathfinders into the classroom to inspire the next generation of Bostonians. If you are interested in sharing your story with a BPS classroom, please contact Sufia Jamal.
