Noval Alexander: "Fuller School Project is Deeply Personal"

FRAMINGHAM, MA- Noval Alexander is a Framingham man, through and through. He likes to call himself a product of the school system and, for that reason, has become its fiercest advocate.

Alexander was recently honored with citations from Senate President Karen Spilka and Rep. Jack Lewis as well as a citation from the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for being an unsung hero and exemplifying black excellence in his community.

The citations specifically mention Alexander's work with the "Yes for Fuller!" campaign. He was the boots-on-the-ground force behind much of the education and advocacy that pushed forward the Fuller Project vote and, for Alexander, it was personal.

What is currently Fuller Middle School used to be Framingham South High School, where Alexander was a student in the mid 1980's. He said the school always had structural issues, "I mean, it was rough when I was there," he said. After leaving the town for college and the military, Alexander said when he returned, he was surprised to see his old high school virtually untouched.

Alexander left Framingham for a while, attending the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government. He then served in the Army Reserve, giving 25 years of service, and two tours of active duty. He retired from the Army in 2013 and moved back to Massachusetts, becoming a a substitute teacher aide at a Wellseley school.

As a School Committee member whose district includes the Fuller School, Alexander said he was eager to jump into the project and help move things forward. "Fuller was always on my radar," he said "I have personal experience in that building, I understand it." Growing up on Framingham's South side, Alexander says he feels a connection to the school. "Its an underdog school, perceived as underachieving," he said, but Alexander is eager to clear misconceptions and give the school a fair shot- the way the school did for him.

He got emotional as he explained the countless teachers, guidance counselors and administrators who pushed him forward during his time in Framingham's public schools. Alexander said it was those voices that motivated him to advocate for the Fuller Project. "Every door I knocked on, I heard those voices," he said, "I don't think I would have been as successful as I am without these people."

The citations are undoubtedly a joyous occasion that Alexander intends to celebrate with those who worked with him on the campaign, "This is really an 'us' award," he said. The real joy, Alexander said, will come when the school is built and he can walk the halls of the new Fuller Middle School. For now, Alexander said he can only describe this feeling with a phrase he often uses with his students: "It's fantabulous and extraordinary."

(For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Framingham Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook! Got a news tip? Email samantha.mercado@patch.com)

Photo Credit: Shutterstock