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OUR WHY
The Drake Academy of Excellence exists because of my parents, Dr. Milton and Debbie Drake. Their example of cheering for and inspiring others to reach their full potential has built a legacy that will continue to empower generations of people for years to come. The Drake Academy of Excellence is a tribute to honor their lives and the positive impact they have had on others. It is also an inspiring example for our school family to live up to as we seek to serve and empower others.
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Dr. Milton, M.D. and Debbie Drake B.S.Ed.
Working together with a shared goal and a common purpose brings meaning to life.
Dr. Milton Drake and his wife Debbie have spent their lives working internationally and locally to fulfill their common purpose of helping those in need both medically and educationally.
In 2000, Milton and Debbie began working together to promote the mission of HOPE Worldwide and have supported the work of two hospitals and three clinics in the country of Cambodia, which was left devastated after the Khmer Rouge/Pol Pot regimes. Since that time, more than 1.3 million patients have been treated free of charge and the program has received international recognition for their humanitarian work. Their work has been pivotal in forging a partnership with Lowell General Hospital and the Sihanouk HOPE Worldwide hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Milton and Debbie have worked tirelessly over the past ten years to bring much-needed supplies and medication to the hospital and are continually promoting the advancement of medical care, training, and ongoing staff development. The scope of this work not only impacts the citizens of Lowell but by extension their families in Cambodia, many of whom live in remote villages with limited access to medical care.
Over the past ten years with hundreds of volunteers, Milton and Debbie have lead and participated in 20 medical brigades in Honduras, providing medical and dental services, ESL training, and developing local young leaders. Their work has facilitated effective laboratory testing and the securing of vital medication for expanding community service in remote villages.
Debbie has spent 25 years working with volunteers and volunteer leaders. She has built a firm partnership with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) staff offices in Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Salem and served as a leading promoter and organizer of the Annual MLK Scholarship program for graduating seniors in the DCF foster program. She is especially connected to and proud of her community service work with DCF and the Annual Christmas Celebration, where gifts and character awards have been given to outstanding youth for the past 15 years. Debbie is the editor of the book, They Chose to be Great — A compilation of 23 essays written by scholarship winners chronicling their service to others in their community while still under DCF care.
Milton and Debbie have been married for 55 years, have 5 children, 12 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. They currently live in Billerica, Massachusetts and enjoy serving on the board of HOPE Worldwide, MA as well as on the advisory board for the Drake Academy of Excellence.