The M List 2016: Amy Wallace
Shaping futures
Amy Wallace was the first in her family to attend college, which she did without much family support. Her experience is a big reason she is committed to the success of Mann Scholars and the students she works with as the program’s coordinator.
The program is a partnership between the Madison Metropolitan School District, the Madison Community Foundation and the Mann Educational Opportunity Fund. The opportunity fund pays Wallace’s salary and provides an academic scholarship to each scholar for each year of high school. Each year, Wallace and the Mann board select three to five students. Nominees are primarily, but not exclusively, students of color who have demonstrated the potential for academic success but may need additional educational support to be successful in high school and beyond. She works closely with them and their families throughout high school. A big issue facing many students, she says, is an opportunity gap: “That is what really shapes and affects so many kids.”
Wallace provides both practical and moral support. “I think a lot of it is just making yourself available.” She adds, “It is very humbling and amazing to see kids out there doing what they want to do.”
The M List
Madison Magazine’s M List is a who’s who of organizations and individuals who are having an impact on our local culture and economy. In its fourth year, the M List recognizes those making strides as mentors and teachers. Last year's list of honorees were making impacts in the area of social innovation. The original M List, in 2013, honored the technology sector. The 2014 M List honored "Foodtastic" entrepreneurs and innovators.
Click here to return to the 2016 M List homepage.
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