September 1st, 2015
Senior Brittany’s heart was pounding as she walked across the stage at her high school graduation. “It was an exciting feeling, a feeling of accomplishment, pretty much the best feeling ever,” she said.
Brittany and a few of her classmates walked across the stage with more than just their families cheering them on. They had all of LARE Institute cheering them on in spirit as well.
Brittany and the small group of classmates, who were in danger of not graduating on time due to various issues and setbacks, enrolled in a program at the start of their final semester, a program that would help them navigate around their roadblocks to graduation, the Senior Success Program.
The Senior Success Program is an opportunity made possible through a partnership between LARE Institute and Methuen High School and is funded through a grant from the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board. The program consists of after school tutoring and STEM (science technology, engineering and mathematics) exploration at the high school with science teacher Melissa Tobin, as well as the exploration of three occupational areas at LARE Institute. The students also had the chance to experience the job field first-hand by participating in an externship experience at some of the Merrimack Valley’s finest employers.
Students enrolled with hope and graduated from the program with confidence in their abilities, drive for success, first-hand job experience, and industry/nationally-recognized certifications in Allied Health, (CPR/First Aid), Electronic Manufacturing, and Business Technology.
Each and every single student graduated on time, walking proudly with their classmates across that stage, for the Methuen High School Class of 2015 graduation this spring.
“This program helped me become more motivated in school and life. Carol (Sholik, the program liaison, and Grant Coordinator for LARE Institute) and Mrs. Tobin motivated me to work hard and not give up,” said Gissel, a participant in the program.
Gissel will begin a program at Northern Essex Community College this fall and plans to transfer to UMass Lowell or Boston.
Brittany said the program changed her too. “I was isolated before and this program made me open up a bit. It made me more serious about school.”
Brittany joined the U.S. Navy as a Gas Turbine Electrical Technician and will leave in November to serve for 5 years.
“I’m so excited,” she said.
All of the students found success in the program, graduating from high school and laying out plans for the future. Armed with skills and confidence, they are making the transition to college, full-time employment, and the United States Military in the coming weeks.
Jeanelley, another participant, and the self-described mother hen of the group, said she really connected with her classmates in the group. “We had to work together to get what we wanted,” she said. “I’m going to miss them, but I look forward to seem them moving forward.
“I wish them all the best and hope they reach their goals and all that they aspire to,” she added.
Jeanelley is enrolled at Northen Essex CC and plans to transfer to the College of the Holy Cross or Assumption College.
We are so proud of these students! Congratulations to LARE Institute’s youngest successes who definitely exemplify WOW! Magic!
Check out pictures from their graduation and our celebration for these wonderful students below:
Check out last year’s Senior Success Program here, in the Valley Patriot!
Congratulations! This is so exciting! Fantastic accomplishments for all!
I love this! This is so inspiring and full of hope! 🙂
Very heartfelt and touching… anything is possible when one believes.
, the devil is in the details And it coludn’t be more accurate at this point. Having said that, let me tell you just what exactly did give good results. The writing can be really powerful and that is probably the reason why I am making an effort to opine. I do not make it a regular habit of doing that. 2nd, whilst I can easily notice the jumps in logic you come up with, I am not necessarily sure of exactly how you appear to connect the points which inturn help to make your final result. For right now I will subscribe to your point however wish in the foreseeable future you link your facts much better.