Community Spotlight: Analesa Baraka

Analesa Baraka joined our Advisory Council in April 2024 after becoming involved with the Eliot School as a donor to our Paula J. Smith Scholarship, which honors the memory of the daughter of one of her coworkers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  

We sat down with Analesa for this month’s Community Spotlight to talk about what made her want to take a greater part in the Eliot School leadership and why she believes in supporting our mission. 

Learn more about the Paula J. Smith Scholarship and join Analesa in supporting it and all of our work toward inspiring lifelong learning in craft and creativity today. 

Transcript

Analesa: My name is Analesa Baraka, and I am a nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. My friend Lelias has a scholarship in her daughter’s honor, and she approached me to help support the scholarship and invited me to an Eliot School fundraiser. I had heard of the Eliot School, but I didn’t understand the depth and breadth of the programming that it offers until I came. 

There are many ways to be involved in this kind of organization, and just to get my feet wet, I thought the Advisory Council would be the best place for me to get a bird’s eye view into all the programs that are offered here at the Eliot School. 

You mentioned the scholarship that your friend has for her daughter. Can you tell me more about that? 

Analesa: Yes, it’s called actually the Paula J. Smith Scholarship Fund, and 100% of the proceeds directly benefit the Eliot School and promoting creativity for all. 

What initially drew you to the Eliot School? 

Analesa: The art field has always been a draw to me. As a young girl, I did sewing, I did crochet, and I was involved in agricultural type projects. I think art means different things to different people. And for me, art has been a vehicle to finding out just how connected you are to others, by sewing or cooking or candle making or furniture making. So, it means so much to me to be involved in a program that brings that to the immediate community and communities outside of the Jamaica Plain area.  

I am also aligned with the idea of making creativity for all possible because even if you don’t think that there’s a creative bone in your body, we all have it. And it’s amazing seeing the looks on the kids' faces downstairs. It’s just a place where people can discover things about themselves that they never thought possible.

What has kept you involved with Eliot School? 

Analesa: Oh, my. Just the exciting things that I know we can accomplish together. And providing an outlet for inner city kids and just letting kids, and even the kid in the adult, realize dreams that they may have not had the time to explore before. But you’re never too young, and you’re never too old to learn something new. The Eliot is such a special place, and it just brings people together and communities together.

What are your hopes for the future of the Eliot School? 

Analesa: That our name is synonymous with art in Boston, that when you think of where you can find a summer program or afterschool program for your kid to learn a new skill, whatever that may be, you look first to the Eliot School.