Boston Day and Evening Academy
Tyra Perry
Dorchester
Tyra has had a special interest in working with children throughout her life. As part of her Capstone project, she researched the experiences of children in the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). She is determined to do what she can to support children who have had family disruptions. Her plan is to attend Roxbury Community College and study social work. Her career goal is to become a social worker with DCF.

Charlestown High School
Tina Vo
Dorchester
Tina has had the ability to befriend any student at Charlestown High. This is a great feat because it is an extremely diverse inner-city school. With students coming from all over the globe, she has been welcoming and open to everyone. Charlestown High also has a diverse level of academic ability among students. In grades 9 and 10, it does not offer many honors courses, and students stay with one another in a cohort. Tina performed top-notch work, but more impressively, when paired with students who were unmotivated and failing, she had a way of motivating them. She always worked as hard at engaging these students as she did her own studies. Faculty members said they admire her maturity. Tina pursued several positions at the school’s Dual Enrollment tech pathways and works at Artists for Humanity in their 3D design studio outside of school. Her artistic flair matched with her academic prowess makes for a powerhouse.

Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH)
Nia Rendall
Dorchester
Growing up in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, Nia lived with her parents and her younger brother. From an early age, she possessed an innate curiosity and extroverted personality. In June 2022, she moved to the United States, leaving behind the familiar shores of Cape Verde to continue her high school education and college dreams in Boston. Adapting to this new environment and educational system presented formidable challenges, but she remained committed to achieving academic excellence, not only for her family’s pride but also for her own sense of accomplishment. Nia’s days at CASH have been filled with challenges, smiles, and tears, but the school provided guidance and gave her the opportunity to make meaningful connections.

English High School
Lilyanna Pamela Harney
Dorchester
During Lilly’s four years at English High, she became an integral part of the school community. She challenged herself academically and took four Advanced Placement classes this year. Her true passions are Literature, Art, and STEM. Lilly helped establish the EHS Book Club and spent a good amount of time volunteering in the library. She will spend this summer at Harvard University as a lab assistant. One of the first things that stands out about Lilly is her unique and exciting sense of style. Every day, she came to school wearing thrift store finds arranged to capture different moods and time periods, some days looking as if she had walked into a Gatsby party, other days a beatnik poet. She began doing this during the pandemic to express her inner complexity and to be comfortable with standing out for who she is. Her serious commitments to academic achievement and friendship, alongside her conversation-starting outfits, have been huge contributions to the English High experience. A recipient of the Nathan Miller Scholarship, she will be attending Suffolk University in the fall as a first-generation college student. 

New Mission High School
Janaira Diaz
Dorchester
Born and raised in Boston, Janaira is a first-generation college student. She is interested in pursuing a career in the health field, specifically to be an ultrasound technician. Janaira strives to make herself and her family proud of her accomplishments.

TechBoston Academy
Richie Nguyen
Boston/Dorchester
Richie, an active member in TechBoston Academy’s Student Government Association and Senior Council, immersed himself in the school’s Design & Visual Communication Pathway. His parents, who immigrated to Boston from Vietnam, pushed him in his education, something they themselves couldn’t experience due to financial hardships. Richie honored their dreams by completing as many Advanced Placement and honors courses he could take. He is following in his big brother’s footsteps, who was the Class of 2019 valedictorian at TechBoston Academy. Richie will pursue a career in software engineering at Northeastern University next fall.

Boston Collaborative High School (BCHS)
Isaiah Peters
Dorchester
Isaiah transferred to BCHS in 2022, after being home schooled during the pandemic. He has been a positive, well-liked, and admired student there. His family is a huge support and continues to inspire him to thrive after high school. Isaiah currently takes dual enrollment classes at Benjamin Franklin Institute and has recently applied to the Practical Electricity Program there for this fall.

Jeremiah E. Burke High School
Erik Mendez
Dorchester
Erik topped his class at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester this year. Although he was born and raised in Boston, his family is originally from El Salvador. Outside of academics, Erik’s hobbies include playing basketball, watching movies, and learning new things. The youngest in his family, he will pursue a bachelor’s degree as a first-generation student at Northeastern University, where he plans to start his studies by exploring computer science.