More than three dozen alumni of Boston Collegiate Charter School, from classes 2017 through 2024, returned to the Dorchester school last month to enjoy an annual tradition —Alumni Day— on Dec. 20. They mingled and caught up with classmates and former teachers, then headed to the school’s commons for a question-and-answer session with current 11th and 12th graders, where they responded to questions about what to expect from life at college, what they found challenging, and how to find community in a new place.

They also offered advice on everything from managing free time to meeting people and overcoming imposter syndrome. Joanne McGuinness, Class of 2022 and now an undergraduate at University of Massachusetts Amherst, reassured students that even if they don’t get into their first-choice colleges, “whatever is meant for you will find you.”

Class of 2023 students Christina Gavelis (left), Grainne McBride (center), and Kate Fiasconaro (right) reconnected.

Edson Jean François (right) is joined by other members of the Class of 2024, Cameron Mikalauskis (left) and Philippe Jean (center). Photos courtesy Boston Collegiate

Sean Connolly, Class of 2018 and a graduate of the University of Maine, noted that “Boston Collegiate was a key part not only of getting into college but also preparing me for life and being an adult. Boston Collegiate helped me develop know-how for balancing finances, confidence for job interviews, and a diligent work ethic.” He credited something as simple as learning how to write a check in a financial literacy class to the rigor of his academic courses.

Edson Jean François, salutatorian of the Class of 2024 and now a student at Northeastern University, echoed this sentiment, saying he returned for Alumni Day “to give back to the students I love so much… I’m so glad to be back.”

Boston Collegiate serves 700 students in grades 5 through 12 from across the neighborhoods of Boston.

–REPORTER STAFF