 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
alumni/ae page |
|
December 2007
by Jeffrey Stanley Beth Burns Punzi ’82 was born in Brooklyn and lived in Flatbush, in her mom’s childhood home, when she entered third grade at BFS. Her sister Jacky Burns ’83 began second grade the same year. Their parents, Alex and Maureen, had found out about the school through attending the Brooklyn Meeting; they were determined that their children would attend a school that encouraged personal expression and creative problem-solving. “My parents loved those aspects about BFS, since this kind of thinking was discouraged when they were growing up. They wanted my sister and me to be in an environment where our opinions were valued, not dismissed.” She remembers the sacrifices her parents made to send their two daughters to an independent school, and the generous financial aid the school provided them. Beth pushed herself academically, and was an active participant in the school community, spearheading student activities, volunteering with lower school children, and playing on sports teams. “I was strongly influenced by the wonderful teachers at BFS,” she said. “Really, it was an exceptional teaching and administrative staff, and I owe a lot to the dedication and creativity so many of them brought to their work every day.” By the time Beth entered middle school the family had moved to Boerum Hill to be closer to the school, and when Beth and her sister were in the upper school their mother Maureen had become the school nurse. Beth joined the Brooklyn Meeting when she turned 18, and entered Haverford College, a Quaker institution outside Philadelphia known as one of the country’s most outstanding liberal arts colleges. She credits her admission to then-college counselor Don Knies, her strong teacher recommendations, and letters of support from members of the Brooklyn Meeting. After graduating from Haverford with a BA in Political Science, Beth immediately joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Morocco to teach English in a rural high school. “This was a wonderful experience for me,” she recalled. Upon returning to New York she entered Baruch College’s Masters of Public Administration program, while working as the program director for the Youth Services Opportunities Project (YSOP), a Quaker-founded nonprofit that links young people with community service experiences. YSOP, in which Brooklyn Friends upper school students participate, encourages engaged citizenship through direct service to homeless and hungry people. While she also worked as a fundraiser for the National Audubon Society, it was Beth’s YSOP experience that proved to be a strong influence on her future career path. She graduated Baruch in ’95, the same year her daughter Alaena was born. Beth and her husband Peter settled in New Jersey, where a new challenge awaited. They soon had a son, Cole, who at the age of two was diagnosed with a learning disability requiring speech therapy. “The therapy was expensive but necessary, so I waited tables at night to pay for it and still be home during the day with him and my daughter.” Today Cole is doing very well, but experience of finding help for her son had a residual impact on her. “Everyone in my small town knows me as the mom who speaks up for children who learn differently,” she said. “I am passionate about this because of my personal experience but I am able to effectively channel my passion because I was educated at a school dedicated to honoring each student’s uniqueness and reaching that child’s inner light.” Restaurant work also had another impact on Beth. “I decided to take advantage of the experience and open my own business as a personal chef and caterer.” She ran her catering business for five years, and also had a second son, Nico. By then she was ready to return to pursue her original career goal in nonprofit management. With three children, she also wanted to work near home and her kids’ schools. She found the perfect job in 2006 when she was hired by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County, located just a few minutes from her house, as Director of Fund Development. “This has been such a wonderful position for me because I’m passionate about the cause and I believe my skills are truly contributing to the organization’s growth.” Among the programs for youth and families Big Brothers Big Sisters supports is a drug counseling program for children under 13. Today Beth and her sister remain members of Quaker Meetings in their respective New Jersey communities, and both were married in Quaker ceremonies. “We both incorporate Quaker values in our every day life and our parenting,” she said. “We take very seriously our commitment to honesty and integrity in all that we pursue.” Beth has been particularly active in helping the Shrewsbury Meeting raise funds to restore their historic Meeting House. The recipient of this year’s BFS Distinguished Alum Award for her leadership and public service, Beth had a word of advice to the current generation of BFS students: “Enjoy every minute you have left at BFS and soak up all the opportunities to explore your interests and pursue your ambitions. It gets a lot harder after BFS to do this.” |
|
|
home
| site map |
contact BFS |
