A Partnership Full of Possibilities
In honor of the 15th anniversary of a partnership between Stonehill College and House of Possibilities, members of both communities reflect on their shared mission to create a more just and compassionate world.
In 2009, House of Possibilities’ Yawkey House, a respite for people with disabilities and their families named in tribute to the Yawkey Foundation, first opened on Stonehill’s campus. Since then, House of Possibilities, also known as HOPe, and the College have partnered to cultivate a nurturing environment and offer groundbreaking programming. Their collaboration has had an incredible impact on HOPe members and Stonehill students by empowering them to forge deep friendships and lead lives of purpose on their own terms.
“We are very lucky to have Stonehill community members involved in so many different capacities,” HOPe President & CEO Katie Terino said. “One of the many reasons we can provide high quality services is because we have access to great talent at the College.”
Over the years, certain key programs have anchored the relationship between Stonehill and HOPe. Perhaps most notable is the organizations’ jointly run Best Buddies chapter, part of a larger volunteer movement originally founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989. The club promotes camaraderie and inclusion by matching students with HOPe members. Each week, these duos come together for sports, crafts, games and more. The chapter currently includes approximately 70 Stonehill students, a participation record.
Anna Curran ’25, an education studies and sociology double major from Holliston, Massachusetts, is president of Stonehill’s Best Buddies chapter and an intern at HOPe. Under her leadership, the group participated in the Best Buddies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island Friendship Walk in October 2024. The group walked to support inclusion, earning recognition as one of the event’s top fundraising teams.
Curran credits the success of this and other opportunities to the firm bonds between Stonehill students and their buddies.
“I’ve had the good fortune of being paired with three buddies—Alex, Emerson, and Ray,” she said. “Connecting with them has taught me so much about loyalty. They are the most loyal friends ever.”
One of Curran’s favorite parts about being at HOPe and participating in Best Buddies is witnessing the unique ways the program’s members demonstrate their knowledge and skills. For instance, they routinely entertain visitors and volunteers with their musical talents at karaoke, a HOPe favorite.
“One person loves to sing ‘Dancing Queen,’” Curran said. “And another always brings me up to sing with him, even though he knows I don’t know the words to the song he always picks. It’s become our thing.”
Anna Curran '25 enjoys a sunny day outside with a friend from HOPe.
Stonehill students and HOPe members get together for a little gaming.
David Andrews (left) and Brendan Schooler (right), both of the New England Patriots, hang out with a pair of Stonehill students and a HOPe member during Big Night Out at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton.
During Big Night Out, Stonehill students joined in on the fun as HOPe members walked a red carpet and danced the night away.
Beyond connecting with members through fun activities, the Stonehill senior has also developed invaluable professional relationships with HOPe staff, including Community Resource Specialist Abby Waldron, her internship supervisor. Curran hopes to pursue a future career as a special education teacher in part thanks to Waldron’s guidance.
Reflecting on her work with HOPe members and Stonehill students, Waldron noted it has been a joy to help both populations discover their passions.
“They’re both trying to gain skills that will enable them to find employment, volunteer, and be part of a community,” she said. “They’re both working toward those long-term goals of figuring out what their future lives might look like. HOPe is a place where they can do that.”
“Disabilities II,” a community-based learning course at Stonehill, offers invaluable real-life experience that will benefit Skyhawks and HOPe members in the years ahead. Developed and taught by Assistant Professor of Healthcare Management Danielle Waldron—Abby Waldron’s sister—the class requires that its students participate in programming at HOPe alongside members. They must also form teams focused on areas like administration, advancement, programming and autism coaching to create something of purpose over the course of a semester.
“One of the reasons I wanted to teach at Stonehill was because of the connection to HOPe and how it allows for these opportunities,” said Professor Waldron, who also serves on HOPe’s board. “Integrating our campus community with HOPe has paved the way for so many great experiences, both big and small.”
Through her course, Professor Waldron’s students have analyzed competitor’s salaries and made recommendations to HOPe’s CEO about employees’ wages, helped secure more than $28,000 in bank sponsorships, and mapped autism resources in Massachusetts. Additionally, they are avid supporters of HOPe’s prom called “A Big Night Out.”
“This event is a huge undertaking, and the students go to great lengths to make this a fun experience for everyone,” HOPe Chief Advancement Officer Paula McLaughlin said. “They organize a formalwear boutique so that HOPe members have suits and dresses to wear."
Looking to the future of the partnership between HOPe and Stonehill, Terino envisions ways to deepen the experience for the populations it serves and the College's students.
“Both organizations are on upward trajectories,” she said. “And I think there’s a lot more opportunity for us to partner. On our end, we are planning and working very actively toward an expansion that is going to open even more collaboration with Stonehill students and faculty in purpose-driven spaces. This relationship is only going to continue flourishing.”
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