Earlier this school year, I had the rare opportunity to leave my chosen profession behind for a few short hours and step into another role: guest principal at the historic Mather Elementary school in Dorchester.

I was given this unique opportunity through Principal Partners, a program that brings Boston’s business and philanthropic leaders into Boston schools to serve as principal for the day. While excited at the prospect of a brief respite from my daily routine, I was unprepared for the strong and lasting impression that the school’s leadership, mission, and students would leave upon me.

As the first public elementary school in North America, the Mather is hallowed ground and generations of Bostonian educators served it as principals before my brief tenure, although I am certain that none has led the institution with more fervor and dedication than its current leader, Emily Cox.

Over its 375-year history, the Mather and those who taught and learned within its walls changed along with the country. While its first student body consisted of a handful of Puritan children, today the school teems with more than 600 pupils in grades K through 5, representing a mix of nationalities, ethnicities, and languages that epitomizes the strengths and ideals of our great nation. This wonderful diversity is evident at the start of each school day, when the Mather School Pledge, which reinforces the school’s mission is recited and translated into Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, and Spanish, the three most common languages other than English spoken by its Students.

For 48 percent of Mather students, English is not their first language and 38 percent of them are Limited English Proficient. However, the statistics I learned that day that surprised me the most while significantly enhancing my already great admiration for those who teach and serve the student population, are those that reflect the economic struggles of Mather School families. Some 81 percent of families of Mather students live in low-income households, and dozens of students leave school each day to return “home” to one of the homeless shelters that serve the surrounding neighborhood.

The challenges these stark realities pose to the Mather are only equaled by the determination of its families to provide for their children, and the optimism and eagerness of the students themselves.

The Mather School faces and overcomes these challenges through the unparalleled dedication of its staff and the innovative partnerships it forms to enhance the educational experience of its students. For instance, Mather is partnering with Lesley University to bring the Literacy Collaborative, a school literacy program designed to improve the reading, Writing, and language skills of children, into its classrooms.

However, despite the grand, innovative work that is done at the school, many students still have basic needs such as school supplies and uniforms that go unmet.

My friend, the New York police commissioner and former Mather student Bill Bratton is one of the school’s most successful alums and one of its most ardent advocates. Recently, while speaking at the Mather to celebrate the school’s storied history, he attributed much of his success to the foundations of learning he received from his time at Mather.

As the school prepares to celebrate its 375th year next month with a gala that will highlight its rich history and bright future, it continues to struggle with the immense financial, social and educational challenges that are not unique to the school, but are unique in their scope and size. I implore my fellow Bostonians to join Bratton, myself, and many others in supporting and partnering with the Mather School and Principal Cox to ensure that this long-standing beacon of hope and learning in the heart of Dorchester will continue to shine for another 375 years.

To support the Mather, to learn more about its mission, or to sponsor the 375th gala, please visit: matherelementary.org/375.html.