School of Education and Social Policy alumna Edith Howard Bostic (BS74) will receive a 2007 Northwestern University Alumni Service Award at the University's March 31 ceremony honoring alumni achievements. Bostic will also be the featured speaker at the SESP Convocation on June 16.For 20 years Bostic, who lives in Atlanta, has served Northwestern by interviewing undergraduate applicants, coordinating the Alumni Admissions Council (AAC), organizing class reunions and assisting with capital campaigns. On several occasions she has also been a speaker at A Day with Northwestern.
Of her work for Northwestern, Bostic says, "The opportunity to serve the NU AAC as an interviewer and director has brought me in contact with many alumni and countless exciting and bright high school students. These students especially bring to light a hope for the future."
Kathryn Kimura Mlsna, Bostic's former roommate who nominated her for the Alumni Service Award, says, "Edie 'goes above and beyond' in her efforts to help the university identify prospective students and to represent the university well." She points out that Bostic has interviewed hundreds of prospective students, represented the university at high school college fairs, hosted new students and families in her home, and visited new students on campus, among other activities.
Early on, Bostic was attracted to Northwestern because of its high standards for aspiring teachers. "To discover a program that supported my feelings that teachers should be educated to be the nation's best and brightest was a key factor in my choice to apply [to] and attend Northwestern." She was especially pleased with the School of Education's tutorial-clinical program as a way to prepare for classroom teaching. In retrospect, she says, "At Northwestern I found the best of all possible higher education opportunities for me. I was in a program that placed me in local schools in the first quarter of freshman year, encouraged me to pursue a curriculum that broadened my exposure to many areas of study and allowed me to be the first Education graduate to have a concentration in Chinese and Asian Studies."
After graduation, Bostic, who also has a master's degree in education from Clemson University, taught for five years. From her time teaching, she says, "I took with me knowledge, management skills, patience and the ability to learn from and work with others, all invaluable tools for success." She has remained active in volunteer activities related to education and the arts.
Asked about the accomplishments in her life, Bostic singles out the progress she made with individual students. Specifically, she recalls a third-grader who entered her class having difficulty reading and not liking school; by the end of the year was reading almost on grade level. "I'll never forget his hugs and tears on the last day of school. He learned to love learning," she says. "Just as my teachers and professors at Northwestern made a difference in my life, it is heartening to know that for five years I diligently worked to make a difference in the education lives of my own students."
She also takes pride in her volunteer work for the Atlanta Symphony's Talent Development Program for children and her success in getting Mandarin Chinese added to the curriculum in Fulton County, Georgia. As a mother of two, she is extremely proud of her son James's graduation from Clemson and her son Scott's graduation from the U.S. Military Academy.
One of Bostic's favorite phrases is "Time is a non-renewable resource." It is apparent that she has put this phrase into practice with her longstanding and energetic service to Northwestern over the years.
Last Modified: 8/14/09