5/14/2026

Dear Sir or Madam;

I am excited to write this letter in support of Dr. Chris Vick’s grant application. For five years, he has served as a college access consultant for Brookline’s METCO Program. In that time, he has provided peerless support to over 100 students. His efforts have been essential in ensuring our students are able to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Dr. Vick is a game-changer, and his work with students of color needs to be replicated in other settings. For this reason, I enthusiastically attest to the work he did with us and can do in your context.

To understand why Dr. Vick was so impactful, it is essential to understand the context of the METCO Program.  The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) is a state-funded school integration program. It has been in existence for over 50 years, allowing students from the City of Boston to attend well-resourced schools in the suburbs. I serve as the coordinator of the Brookline METCO program. We are one of the largest and most successful METCO programs in the state. Much of that is owed to the interventions of Dr. Vick.

METCO students have a unique scholarly experience. Though they live in Boston, students have access to the rich resources of a suburban school. Though this is true, many of our students still struggle. Here in Brookline, that struggle manifested in college access. Despite being Brookline students, our students living in Boston were not making it to college at the same rate as their white peers, particularly those living in Brookline. A number of factors lead to this result. However, in thinking of ways to close the college access gap, I immediately thought of Dr. Vick and his efforts, which have been more than impactful.

Dr. Vick has served as the private college counselor for METCO students for the past five years. I am thankful to have been able to contract with him using some grant funds I was able to access.  In that time, Dr. Vick has met with over 100 of my students, virtually and in person. His support has been invaluable in effectively closing our college access gap. Dr. Vick empowers METCO students to dream big and take the steps needed to make those goals a reality. His efforts to help students find the right colleges, write the essay, and maximize their financial aid have been critical.  My students trust him as a valued partner. Additionally, METCO parents know that their children will have all the support they need to access college. Dr. Vick has helped level the playing field for us here in Brookline. I hope you allow him to earn similar results in your context.

Please let me know if there are other ways I can speak to Dr. Vick’s work as a college consultant. He has obtained excellent results for the students he has served here.

Most sincerely,

Malcolm Cawthorne

METCO Coordinator for the Public Schools of Brookline