In Memory

Sean Jackson, City on a Hill 2003 alumnus, graduated from the “Old” City on a Hill.  “Old CoaH” lived in the YMCA on 320 Huntington Ave. for over ten years.  An historical landmark as one of the oldest urban YMCA’s in America, our time there consisted of giant hissing steam pipes, random power outages followed by all-building fire alarms, cracked-tile swim classes, and everyone’s favorite open-campus lunch when students could leave the building to eat anywhere in the neighborhood so long as they returned to school in thirty minutes.  Now, City on a Hill resides in Roxbury just down the street from Dudley Square in the old St. Joseph’s Catholic School.  Before, we were renters.  Now we are owners, permanent members of the community in which our students reside.  

In October, when I walked into Mt. Olive Kingdom Builders Church to celebrate Sean’s life after his sudden and premature passing, I was not taken aback by the number of people in attendance – the church teemed, people stacked outside the stone doorways craning their necks to join the service.  What struck me was the dominant number of City on a Hill graduates present from the classes of ‘02, ‘03, and ’04.  They sat together in tight pods throughout the congregation, shoulders pressed.  Ms. Pratt, Ms. Accime, two present students, and I attended the memorial.

We stood in line and waited to pay our respects.  What everyone remembered most about Sean was his smile:  a true, joyful smile.  Sean had perfect dimples in the center of both cheeks.  He smiled when he spoke and smiled when he listened.  The corners of his smile effortlessly pointed to rhinestone stud earrings he always sported.  True style.  Always looking smooth, Sean had the sharp haircut mandatory of a starting member of the basketball team.  Sean loved to run hoop, the CoaH Blue Storm won the State Championship with Sean at point.  Most members of the team were present at the service. 

Sean earned a full ride to the University of Vermont; he transferred to Bridgewater State his sophomore year to be closer to home and play basketball.  Like many of City on a Hill’s graduates, the biggest obstacle to college completion for Sean was tuition.  Though Sean was still working to finish his degree, he embodied a central pillar of City on a Hill’s mission: he consistently served his community.  Every summer, he worked for the YMCA helping with a camp, which developed into after-school mentorship and tutorial.  Weekdays and weekends he worked at different Y branches and for Boston Public after school programs mentoring and coaching.   Like his smile, everyone spoke of Sean’s altruism and of being touched by the cheer of this thoughtful and present young man who gently cared for grade school boys and girls as if they were his younger brothers and sisters. 

Waiting to pay our respects, we planned to hold a Town Meeting later that week and dedicate it to Sean.  Former classmates would come and fill the back of City on a Hill’s new auditorium.  Darrus Sands would speak of his memories of Sean, and describe how Sean was a model for him, his classmates, and his community and hope for the sake of Boston that future graduates of City on a Hill would follow in Sean’s footsteps and dedicate their lives to service.  We would hold a moment of silence, like moments of silence we had held many times before.  Only this time for one of our own.   

The line of mourners slowly reached the front of the church.  As I turned from paying my respects at the foot of the alter, I caught the eyes of the City on a Hill alumni and Central Y staff throughout the congregation and, for a moment, Mt. Olive Kingdom Builders Church was transformed back into Town Meeting in the Teen Center Auditorium on Huntington Ave ten years ago.  A Town Meeting consisting of thoughtful silence, or raucous celebration, or eloquent verbal parry, or spontaneous bawdy cheering, or even standstill boredom.  Same as our Town Meetings today.  And we were all together, smiling, along with Sean, celebrating the peace and safety of our open community looking forward to the uncertain future and our role in it together.

Dr. Paul Hays is a founding teacher and the current Principal of City on a Hill.  He began his 18+ years in public education in 1992 as a Teach For America Corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  A certified science teacher and high school administrator, Dr. Hays holds a B.A. from Denison University, an M.A.T. from Union College, and a Doctorate in Education Administration from Boston University.