Dorchester native Paulette Johnson DiSpagna graduated on May 17 from Lesley University with a doctorate in Counseling & Psychology, Transformative Leadership, Education, and Applied Research. She was also nominated by her department as the graduate speaker for commencement.

Dr. DiSpagna, LMHC, plans to continue her work at Boston Public Schools with teens that will include discussions of structural violence and its pervasive effects on resource-poor Black adolescents’ mental health.