Six Local Women Honored By Framingham State

FRAMINGHAM, MA— Six women were honored by Framingham State University on Monday for making and changing history in their own ways in the community and beyond. The honorees spanned fields including communications, politics, advocacy and education. Javier Cevallos, President of Framingham State University, said he hoped the fourth annual Women Making History Now event would help further connect the university with the community. "We don't want to be just the castle on the hill," he said.

This year's honorees included City Councilor Margareth Basilio Shephard, Hemenway Elementary School art teacher Amy Brown, local TV show host and media consultant Audrey Hall, Framingham State University professor and advocate Patricia Sanchez-Connally, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Downtown Framingham Inc. executive director Courtney Thraen.

The event was held in the McCarthy Center and forum and the room was packed with family, friends and community members gathered to support these women. Several members of the Framingham School Committee and City Council attended to show their support as well as Mayor Yvonne Spicer and Rep. Maria Robinson, who made remarks and offered citations to the honorees.

Each honoree was introduced by a student or alumna of Framingham State and took turns at the podium to tell their stories of triumph and the journey that brought them there. Rep. Pressley could not attend the evening but she sent a staffer to accept her award on her behalf. Pressley made history twice by becoming the first woman of color elected to the Boston City Council in 2009 and the first African American from Massachusetts to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. On behalf of Pressely the staffer delivered prepared remarks that praised the wave of female politicians as a continuation of the efforts of previous women.

Margareth Basilio Shephard serves not only as a City Councilor representing District 7 but as an advocate and voice for the Brazilian Community in Framingham. She co-founded the movement, Brazilians for Political Education and served as board secretary of the Brazilian American Center. She is also a commissioner of the MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women.

Amy Brown is an art teacher at Hemenway Elementary school and used her classroom as a tool to combat hate and incite love in her students. After racist notes targeted a muslim student at the school in 2018, Brown helped bring the school and community together through the #HemenwayKindness campaign. Students were encouraged to express themes of love, support and kindness in their artwork, which covered the walls of the school.

Audrey Hall is a media consultant, local TV show host, commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and self-proclaimed feminist. A New York native, Hall said she's been self-sufficient since her mother died in her youth. Professionally, Hall hit the ground running, diving head first into the communication and broadcast world with her first job at 23. Hall recounted being constantly underestimated because of her gender, but didn't let it deter her — even when her boss turned down her proposal for a business plan to sell advertising slots to local companies. Hall said she took her pitch to a competitor and launched one of the industry’s first successful local cable advertising operations. Outside of the media world, Hall has had a hand in Framingham government for years, from Town Meeting to chairing the Ways and Means committee for 12 years. Hall said her combined professional and political experience over the years has led her to advocate for legislation to level the playing field for women.

Patricia Sanchez-Connally is a Framingham State University assistant professor and holds a doctorate degree in sociology from UMass - Amherst. She is an advocate for social justice and researches different ways in which communities of color support college-bound students. Born in El Salvador, Connally said she draws strength from the strong women in her family, namely her mother who emigrated to the U.S. when Connally was young to escape violence. Connally repeated a phrase her mother told her, "No te ahueves," which translates loosely to keep your head up and don't give up. Connally recounted her recent trip to El Paso Texas with 10 students as an eye-opening experience and first hand look at the immigration crisis at the nations south border. She urged people not to forget or ignore important issues such as that one, "I've learned that denial is for cowards," she said.

Courtney Thraen is Executive Director of Downtown Framingham, Inc. and a Navy veteran. She said her time in the Navy helped shape her self-confidence, allowing her to move to Framingham less than four years ago knowing just four people. After walking door to door, storefront to storefront, Thraen said she got to know the community downtown better and realized her own biases and privileges in the process. Thraen was attending a conference in Seattle and addressed the ceremony via video.

Watch some of the honorees remarks:

Second photo caption: (L–R) School Committee member Gloria Pascual, Mayor Yvonne Spicer, honoree Audrey Hall, Brenda Thompson Stuckey, director of employment, diversity and inclusion at Atrius Health and School Committee member Tracey Bryant.

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