Dr. Aisha Francis Named 2019 EXTRAordinary Woman
December 10, 2019
The incredible work being done by Chief of Staff Aisha Francis, Ph.D extends well-beyond our South End campus. The City of Boston recently recognized her as a part of the 2019 class of EXTRAordinary Women promoting gender equity across Boston.
In its announcement, the City of Boston said:
Just a little over one year in her position, the former Director of Development for Harvard Medical School defines her mission as “putting people to work” and moving them from the sidelines and into technical fields as job-ready agents of change.
“In order to do that,” she explains, “we’ve got to make sure that we align with the always-changing marketplace. We need to be a bridge between young people who need exciting and well-paying jobs and industries that need skilled workers who can keep up…and lead.”
There is no better place to make that happen, Aisha says, than Boston. “This is a city built on invention and innovation. Now the challenge is to lean into that brand and lift up the ingenuity in under-served communities.”
BFIT’s own legacy of leadership in technical education is tied to its unwavering responsibility, responsiveness, and relevance to diverse communities. More than half of BFIT’s students are the first generation to attend college. Forty percent are Boston Public School alumni. Students of color make up more than 70 percent of those enrolled. Many hold jobs that provide their families’ main source of income while they pursue their associate degrees, often this combination of responsibilities means lots of late nights. This multi-cultural talent pool is breaking down barriers and empowering others to follow.
Aisha credits BFIT’s 93% graduation-to-job rate last year and 85% over the last five years to students’ “tenacity,” matched with the very real need that shapes its 12 career-ready programs.
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