SBNDC Spotlight: Noah White

Noah White’s time with South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation helped him become the man he is today and set him up for success going forward. 

“I’ve gone from a quiet, awkward teen to me,” Noah said.

“You can ask Michelle [Zenga] and Maureen [Menconi], I would never talk and now they can't get me to shut up,” Noah joked.

“It has been a privilege to watch Noah grow from a quiet, shy teenager to the wonderful man he is today,” said Maureen, South Boston NDC’s finance director. “He is kind, hardworking, smart, dedicated, and such a nice person.” 

Noah’s tenure with South Boston NDC has come to an end as he graduated from Suffolk University as a law major and prepares for a new job in Cambridge.

“Noah has been a great employee,” said Executive Director Donna Brown. “But more than that, he has grown as a person. He came in as an incredibly shy teenager and turned into a well-spoken young adult ready to take on the world.” 

Michelle, South Boston NDC’s property manager, said: “Noah is like a son to me; I'm sad to see him go. I'm proud of Noah and his accomplishments. He is an old soul with a kind heart.”

Noah, 22, started with South Boston NDC seven years ago as a 15-year-old. “I started as a Youth Ambassador and I ended as a youth leader. So it kind of came full circle,” Noah said.

The Farmers Market Manager and Office Assistant will take the lessons he learned from South Boston NDC into his next chapter. Those lessons included leadership, writing professional emails, communicating with people from every walk of life, and being comfortable speaking publicly.

He knows most people his age don't have the experience he has. “I just do whatever is needed. I guess I like the adaptability of it. I’m able to be put in any situation and do something.”

After his first summer as a Youth Ambassador, Donna offered him a part-time job during the school year while continuing full time in the summer.

When asked why Donna singled him out, Noah laughed, “I’d like to know myself.” 

But it was his self-sufficiency, work ethic, and natural organizational skills that stood out. “I always have a plan in mind,” said the son of Rita and Martin White of South Boston. “I had my own to-do list every day. By the end of the day, I need to do X, Y, and Z.”

At 15, he didn’t quite have all those skills yet but quickly gained them. “You can even ask Michelle, when I was 15 and I didn't have anything to do, I would stand in front of her desk awkwardly … and then have her tell me what to do. So I've definitely just kind of changed into more of figuring out how things work around the office and knowing when I come in, I don't need to be told what to do.”

Donna has been amazed by his transformation, noting that when Noah was interviewed last year by CBS Boston about South Boston NDC’s new community garden, he was articulate, professional, and downright amazing. 

He has been passing along his wisdom to Courtney Mulligan, who is taking over his duties. 

During freshman year at Cathedral High School, Noah was going to school, attending track practice or meets after school, doing Youth Ambassadors, then working at South Boston NDC. It helped that Donna was always flexible with his schedule.

“I guess I was just always busy,” he said. “And I think that also kind of helped me prioritize responsibilities.” 

After his freshman year, he liked making money more than track, so he focused on the work. 

Noah’s work with South Boston NDC was varied and he liked that. His duties included managing the farmers market and community gardens, organizing flower plantings and tree pit cleanups, overseeing the summer interns from Youth Ambassadors and the SLIP program, doing what is needed at the South Boston Street Fest, and helping out in the office.

“I will miss him at SBNDC,” said Maureen, “but I know his future is bright and he will accomplish any endeavor he sets his mind to achieve!”

Added Donna, “We wish him well in his career. We know he is going to do great things.”

Noah White was interviewed by CBS Boston for a story on South Boston NDC’s new community garden.