Each year, the Worcester Educational Development Foundation (WEDF) honors outstanding graduates of the Worcester Public Schools and community partners who have made a lasting impact through their professional achievements, leadership, and service. The Distinguished Alumni and Friends of Worcester Public Schools Awards celebrate those who exemplify excellence, give back to their communities, and inspire the next generation of students.
Watch the video above to see highlights from this year’s celebration, and read the profiles below to learn more about the honorees recognized at the event.
Dr. Katie (Moynihan) Hardart — Doherty Memorial High School
Katie attended Midland Street School, Chandler Junior High, and Doherty Memorial High School. She earned a Hiatt Scholarship to Dartmouth College, graduating summa cum laude, and was recognized as a Capon Family Scholar and Tucker Foundation Fellow. She worked for a year as a substitute teacher with Worcester Public Schools before earning her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine. Katie completed fellowships in Medical Ethics at Harvard and Pediatric Critical Care at Children’s Hospital Boston. She is now Director of Pediatrics at New York Presbyterian Hospital Westchester and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University. Katie lives in Bronxville, New York, with her husband and four children.
Melanie Bonsu — Doherty Memorial High School
Melanie is a graduate of Doherty Memorial High School and Worcester State University. She serves as Community Relations Manager at Saint-Gobain Abrasives, where she strengthens the company’s relationships with the community. With extensive experience in fundraising and marketing in the non-profit sector, Melanie has honed her skills in building partnerships and driving successful campaigns. She serves on multiple boards, including the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Worcester Educational Collaborative, and Notre Dame Academy, and co-chairs community fundraisers. Melanie has been recognized by Worcester Business Journal, Worcester Magazine, and the Boys & Girls Club.
Mike Lucas — Doherty Memorial High School
Mike attended Abbott Street School, Chandler Junior High, and Doherty Memorial High School, where he was a standout tennis player and team captain. He earned a B.A. from Fordham University and an M.A. in Teaching History from Boston College. Mike began his career as a Social Studies teacher and later served as Principal at Tantasqua Regional Jr.-Sr. High School, where he expanded AP opportunities and created a Freshman Transition Program. In 2021, he became Superintendent of Oxford Public Schools. Mike has also volunteered extensively in youth athletics and resides in Brookfield with his wife, Lydia, and their five adult children.
Frank Carroll (Posthumous) — Commerce High School
Frank Carroll, a native of Vernon Hill in Worcester, was the founder of the national Small Business Service Bureau, supporting family businesses, small companies, veterans, and the self-employed. After serving aboard the U.S.S. Hank during the Korean War, he earned his diploma from Commerce High School and a business degree from Worcester Junior College. Frank was a generous philanthropist, championing the poor through St. Francis Xavier Center and advocating for veterans. He co-founded the U.S. Presidential Museum with his son Brian and served on boards including Worcester State University, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, and the Hanover Theater, which honored him with the Francis R. Carroll Plaza.
Dr. Jill Beck — South High School
Dr. Jill Beck attended Columbus Park Elementary School and Woodland Street Prep and is a member of the South High School Class of 1966. She earned degrees from Clark University (BA), McGill University (MA), and City University of New York (PhD). After graduating from Clark, Jill performed as a Rockette and returned briefly to Worcester to teach dance at a Head Start program. She credits her South High music teacher, Mrs. Bitzas, with inspiring her love of the arts. Jill went on to teach at Juilliard, became Dean of the Arts at UC Irvine, and later President of Lawrence University. She is proud of her ArtsBridge Program, linking university arts majors to K–12 teaching residencies, which won the UC Irvine Medal and Disney Jack Lindquist Award. Jill and her husband, Robert, now live in Connecticut and work with KidsPlay Museum.
Bill Wallace — Friend of Worcester Public Schools
For the past 50 years, Bill Wallace has served as Executive Director of the Museum of Worcester, formerly the Worcester Historical Museum. Under his leadership, the museum has expanded its galleries, emphasized changing exhibitions, and moved into its current downtown location in 1988. Committed to education, Bill partnered with Worcester Public Schools and the Worcester Educational Development Foundation to create the Culture Leap Program, giving hundreds of students annual field trips led by retired WPS teachers. A native of New Hampshire, Bill resides in Worcester and will retire from the museum at the end of 2025.
Dr. Shirley F. B. Carter — Classical High School
Born in Boston and raised in Worcester, Dr. Carter is a graduate of Classical High School. She and her sister Audrey were the first women of color to graduate from Worcester City Hospital School of Nursing in 1952. She worked as a registered nurse, taught health education at Worcester East Middle School, and earned advanced degrees from Assumption College and UMass Amherst. Dr. Carter also served as a professor at Springfield College and is a published author. She is a lifelong parishioner of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and resides in Worcester.
Ken Bates — Burncoat High School
Ken Bates is a graduate of Burncoat High School, Worcester State University, and Assumption University. A lifelong Worcester resident, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Open Sky Community Services, a leading human service provider. Ken has extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, including roles at The Bridge of Central Massachusetts and UMass Chan Medical School. He has served on numerous boards and committees supporting healthcare, mental health, and community development. Ken is passionate about creating opportunities for those facing challenges and strives to build inclusive, thriving communities. He resides in Worcester.
Timothy Quinn — Burncoat High School
Timothy Quinn is a graduate of Burncoat High School and Quinnipiac University. After working in medical sales, he pursued his lifelong dream of opening a restaurant with his late brother Ryan. In 2016, he opened Quinn’s Irish Pub on West Boylston Street in Worcester, followed by a sister restaurant, Quinn’s Blue Plate, in Holden. Together, the restaurants employ over 100 people. Tim’s success is driven by his ability to build effective teams and a positive workplace culture. Committed to the community, Quinn regularly supports youth programs and charitable initiatives. His parent company, Quinn Capital, was named Small Business of the Year (2025).