Allison Temple Bacon ES'81 Named the 2026 The Stephen M. Foster ES'65 Exemplary Service Recipient

A Lifetime of Giving Back

For more than three decades, Allison Temple Bacon ES’81 has been one of School Year Abroad's most dedicated champions, generously sharing her time, leadership, and philanthropy to strengthen the organization and its mission. Her unwavering commitment to SYA reflects the profound impact of her year in Spain and a deep belief in the life-changing power of cultural immersion.

Over the years, Allison has served SYA in a wide range of volunteer leadership roles. After years of service on the Philanthropy Council, she joined the Board of Trustees, where she served on the Advancement Committee and helped lead The Campaign for SYA as a member of its Campaign Committee. She has played a vital role in advancing the organization's strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. She also helped champion the SYA Women's Giving Initiative, encouraging greater philanthropic engagement and inspiring fellow alumnae to invest in SYA's future.

Her influence extends well beyond formal leadership roles. Allison has strengthened the bonds within her own SYA Spain Class of 1981, bringing classmates together and fostering enduring friendships within the SYA community. Friends and fellow alumni describe her as someone who consistently leads with generosity, enthusiasm, and an unwavering commitment to others.

Outside of SYA, Allison has co-founded Impact Grants Chicago, an organization that empowers women to pool their resources and award transformational grants to local nonprofits. Her work demonstrates a lifelong dedication to service, collaboration, and community impact.

Whether serving as a volunteer leader, philanthropist, mentor, or advocate, Allison exemplifies the spirit of The Stephen M. Foster ES'65 Exemplary Service Award. Her extraordinary loyalty, leadership, and generosity have helped shape SYA's future while ensuring that generations of students will continue to benefit from the same life-changing experience that shaped her own.

Beyond the Bio 

What sustains your enduring commitment to SYA? 
"I support SYA because I would not be who I am without SYA. I knew when I left at the end of the year that I was changed by my year in Barcelona, but now in my 60s, I can look back and see how. SYA instilled a life-long interest in learning about other cultures; gave me the confidence to take risks and live a bigger life; taught me tolerance and open-mindedness; and was the underpinning to many adventures. I learned to simultaneously rely on myself and to ask for help from others; not to fear failure (although I still don’t like it!) but to learn from it; and not to give up - that when you’re a beginner you know nothing but if you keep at it, the next thing you know you’re proficient."

What's the greatest gift of volunteering? 
"The greatest gift of volunteering is the people you meet along the way. The greatest gift of financially supporting SYA is knowing that I can help give someone a life-altering experience."

One reason every alum should stay connected?
"For me, the reason I stay connected is because it keeps me connected to my 16-year-old self - the girl who was a sponge soaking up new thoughts, new people, new experiences, ideas different from mine, beliefs different from mine. Plus I love all the SYA people in my life."

What's one SYA memory that still makes you smile?
"What makes me smile are the linguistic mistakes I made. Me voy a luchar instead of me voy a duchar. (I’m going to beat myself up instead of I’m going to take a shower.) I want to eat caramelos instead of calamares (candy instead of calamari). And the one that makes me smile the most is not fit for print. I mixed up the word cajones."