Last Monday (May 20) at the end of the school day, 32 students gathered in Cristo Rey Boston’s gymnasium to announce their colleges of choice before the school’s annual Decision Day parade.

Cheers and applause filled the space as the students took group pictures in t-shirts and sweaters labeled with the names of colleges that have admitted them or that they want to attend, including Stonehill College, Boston College, Salem State University, and Bentley University. The Dorchester-based private school has since 2004 been offering its students free tuition and work-study opportunities with businesses throughout the city.

Michael Melo after announcing his commitment to Boston College.

“I’m really excited. It’s a new experience,” said Michael Melo, a 17-year-old Dorchester native who will attend Boston College to study applied psychology. “I went through a lot of personal problems throughout my life. I found out that I didn’t have an outlet for me to go to and I feel like everybody deserved to have someone to communicate with them about their problems.”

Traditionally the parade is held in the first week of May, but because of recent delays with financial aid applications nationally, the event was pushed back a few weeks. The students who have not yet decided because of the delay sported the shirts of the schools they hope to attend.

“It’s become a tradition here where we celebrate our seniors in front of their classmates and their schoolmates, too,” said Thomas Ryan, the school’s principal. “Graduation tends to be just the families and close loved ones. This allows for one last celebration in front of the entire school.”

Tanairi Camacho after announcing her decision to attend Stonehill College.

Tanairi Camacho, 17, decided on Stonehill College to study criminology and she already feels at home on campus. The fact that it’s only 30 miles or so from her home in Chelsea is just the cherry on top, but she’ll still miss the home she has found on Savin Hill Avenue with Cristo Rey Boston.

Damari Patterson after announcing his commitment to Stonehill College.

“If you have any little problem with classes or just your day-to-day life and your mental health, they’re always there for you,” Camacho said. “For me personally it was a little bit of a roller coast my freshman year and they had my back every step of the way. I couldn’t be any more grateful for them.”

Camacho will be joined at Stonehill in North Easton by her classmate Damari Patterson, who was similarly attracted to the close proximity. “I was looking forward to staying home,” he said, “so I can work in hospitals because I want to be an allergist.”

Representing their schools, the students moved outside to the front of the school building to meet their peers and loved ones with their confetti, noise clappers, and balloons. Ryan gathered the students for a closing speech congratulating the class of 2024 on their achievements over the past four years and left them with inspiring words of the time to come.

“The world needs CRB,” he said. “The world needs you.”