A Decade of Light Honoree: Emily Thomas ‘22
From Fellow to Health Support Services Coordinator, Emily advocates for families impacted by community violence, while supporting members on their paths to self-empowerment.
Emily is an alumni honoree at A Decade of Light, CFSI’s 10-year anniversary fundraiser on May 7, 2026. Support future student outcomes like Emily’s with your gift.
At 826 Boston, Emily worked with youth to build literacy skills, including reading comprehension and writing composition. She loved working with kids one-on-one and in small groups to learn about their writing goals and foster creativity and a love for writing. Emily’s favorite part was helping students tap into their imagination and creativity through performative and cultural storytelling through her special project, an afterschool club. After CFSI, Emily graduated from Wheaton College 2024 Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education, and was the recipient of the Sally Gale Gilman and the Eleanor Augusta Norcross Leadership Awards.
After graduation, Emily pursued her Youth Worker certification with the BEST Initiative and worked for the Justice Resource Institute as an Overnight Residential Supervisor at a therapeutic group home. Now, she works with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute as the Healing Support Services Coordinator, where she has been supporting families impacted by murder and community violence for the past year and a half. Emily facilitates support groups, organizes community healing workshops, and uses expressive arts and sandtray therapies to support holistic healing. She is also pursuing her Master’s of Social Work and will be beginning her practicum internship with the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic in the Fall.
Who is your guiding light?
“My mother, always. She unfortunately passed away after a long battle with cancer while I was at CFSI and the team was very understanding and accommodating. Her love continues to inspire and sustain me in this work. Everything I do is to make her proud, and her commitment to helping others while making time for joy is something I aim to emulate.”