Step into the legacy.Together.

Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 1pm

E V E N T P R O G R A M

Beloved METCO students and families,

You deserve a gala event today. You have earned a stadium packed with cheering crowd, limousines lining up, and photos where we can see your gorgeous smiles. But instead of proms, games, college visits, and cherished time with lifelong friends and mentors, your final semester has been isolated and frightening.

In the midst of all that we mourn, though, today is about pride and hope. Our theme is “Step into the legacy,” because you are walking in the footsteps of visionaries and trailblazers. Just as today’s marches and rallies proclaim that Black Lives Matter, the streets of Boston were packed in the 1960s with people of all ages and races, carrying signs and shouting demands for equality. Among their many accomplishments, these organizers formed METCO, a coalition that has done what virtually no other region has done in America: voluntarily brought suburban white students and urban students of color together, across district lines, to share classrooms.

For fifty-four years, METCO students have made sacrifices to fulfill that vision, traveling the long bus rides and wide cultural differences. You and thousands of METCO alumni enriched your schools with your minds, your ethnicity, your beauty, your differences and your similarities.

Now you bring your gifts to the wider world. Your experiences in school have equipped you with unique perspectives and skills. Whatever steps you take next, you deserve our cheers and applause, even if you can’t hear them in person.

And you deserve today’s event: the first virtual celebration of the entire cohort of Boston students who are completing METCO. Dignitaries from across the Commonwealth have eagerly shared their congratulations and best wishes. Your Alumni Keynote, Reading alumna Kim Janey, is breaking down barriers as the first Black woman to be Boston City Council President. The keynote from your classmate, Wayland High School grad Shawn Bernier, will show you how barriers can become journeys into greater acceptance and authenticity.

Now you are all METCO alumni too. Stay connected with each other and with the broader METCO community. We may not be physically together, but even virtually together, we are better.

Congratulations!

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

Milly Arbaje-Thomas, MSW

WELCOME Milly Arbaje-ThomasPresident & CEO, METCO, Inc.

CONGRATULATIONS Charlie BakerGovernor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Jeffrey C. RileyCommissioner, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Marty WalshMayor, City of Boston

THE METCO CAUCUS Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, METCO Caucus Co-Chair

Senator Jason Lewis, Education Committee Chair

Representative Alice Peisch, Education Committee Chair

Representative David Linsky, METCO Caucus Co-Chair

ALUMNI KEYNOTE Kim JaneyPresident, Boston City Council

CLASS OF 2020 KEYNOTE Shawn BernierWayland High School ‘20

VIRTUAL PROCESSIONAL The METCO Class of 2020

SPECIAL GUESTS Devin McCourtyNew England Patriots

Jackie Bradley, Jr. Boston Red Sox

Dr. Jean McGuireDirector of METCO, Inc., 1973-2016

CLOSING Patrick KimbleBoard Chair, METCO, Inc.

Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 1pm

ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

Phillip CherrieDavid LopesJames ReddickJanae VellereJessica WuMaya Young

BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL

Cristina DelgadoSage HullJonathan PierreEsmeralda PuelloAaliya Valentine

BELMONT HIGH SCHOOL

Asanti AndrewsTaysha BaezDerrick BrownDotson MonteiroChristian RudderKiara SantosChristian Tyrell

BRAINTREE HIGH SCHOOL

Shallen James

BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL

Jhaki BellHaley BosRae BosNayah Bright-ReasonBryce BurkeLeona CottonDevin GibsonKaitlyn HarrisKeshaun HarrisAutumn JohnsonBriana JohnsonJamari JonesNia JonesDenali McRaeJordan MiltonSeija MitchellDayshalis Palacios BenitezIsaiah RamseyDestinee RutherfordErika SanchezKaisa Sazama-FramilChrystal SmithKenneth SobahElla Whelan

COHASSET HIGH SCHOOL

Jenna Cuff MoiseJordyn FonfieldSapphire Gibson

CONCORD-CARLISLE REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Janesse Asare-DanquahJames ChaseKleney EvoraTatyana FrazerKing ClydeDarren Roberts, Jr.Micah Scott-MasseyNathan SmithXavier Weathers

DOVER-SHERBORN REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Briahn BrunoAry’anah Johnson-GarvinLeroy IrvinTahnai Sanders

FOXBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

Yadhirys BeatoAndrea Gob-AlleyneAsia KellyNevaeh Seney-BreneusRichard TannorJabarri Thomas

HINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL

Samantha Espinal

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

Nyree BrownTaylor BrownJenssey CharlesChristina ChowTakirah ClarkKyra CooperMariano CuartasArianna GastonNaiomi HarrisJustin SiriAlea TurnerLa’el Watson

LINCOLN-SUDBURY REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Alana BoucherJada EdwardsChristopher Fulton-HarleyAriel HamiltonJaheem Jean-PierreNateja Kenner-SuneusKares MackAdrianna MarquesArianna MarquesNoel MartinezNayeli PizarroChristopher PresinalJaelynn RodneyNathaniel RodriguezNigel SmallsJesus TejedaBree VidalAnyla Williams-AraujoCourtney Wright

LYNNFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

Khad ConnellAllysha FordeAnthony Hunt

MARBLEHEAD HIGH SCHOOL

Shakeriah BaxterBrianna LeslieKeshawne MercuryRaymon Rowell-GraceEdwin Salado

MELROSE HIGH SCHOOL

Christopher AllenMikaela ColsoMical DuntinMicye DuntinAlvin Holder IIITesire McClainJovon MeadowsSteven MiltonAlssely Pimentel PenaEthan ProspereJazmyn RileyAmarea ShepardHamzo TahlilElijah Yancey

NATICK HIGH SCHOOL

Sasha AnesArianna BetheaTerrance Cherry, Jr.Arleth Lopez-MaldonadoPaulo LuisKendry Pou CuevasAdesotu (Ade) Woghiren

2 0 2 0C L A S S O F

NEWTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

Soleil AllenTaylor BaileyShawn BrothersAlijah BurtonAhmani DardyDestiny DeasDayla DePinaChristina Harris WelshAlana KingKhalil LoftonLaila LucasJaden MartinAaron MosesAaron NevilleLeah PennImani RatherJulian SantiagoAmar SkellyAmir SkellyAaliyah Smalls

NEWTON SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL

Tre AndrewsEmenike AnigboguChristina BartleyMaximus BrownAmbar CassidyAnicia EllisOladele FaladeAdonis Fernandez-CabralJonnai HowardNijah HowardDemetrius HuffMason MarionTailah MartinBrianna MoranDakira RichardsonAdalia RodriguezNaimah SimpsonJylun SpenceDeja StraughterMalisha ThermoAmari TurnerLarissa WilliamsKelvin Youk-See

READING MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL

Tatiana BurcyNakeya CarrNia GossVictoria Lee-BrewerAdonis VargasShanyce Williams

SCITUATE HIGH SCHOOL

Elijah GanttNyjaiah NewtonCelinette Perez

SHARON HIGH SCHOOL

Lereca Depina RodriguesCaleb GayleDuriel JohnsonJada JohnsonTaezhon MonteiroJaida Moreschi-FurtickTristan TeixeiraJaden Williams-Thomas

SWAMPSCOTT HIGH SCHOOL

Naveetaa DavisZackias Palmer

WAKEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

Taaj AndrewsKejaun CarneyJaylen CosmeJonathon DeanJovanni Teixeira

WALPOLE HIGH SCHOOL

Sharon BemberyO. MacKenzi FernandezRaynal Louissaint

WAYLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Shawn BernierKael BondsAdianez CabralAllyson ChristianJosephina DavisJoshua DominguezAmira EnglishTamira EnglishKuran FreemanFrancisco GonzalezMichayla MathisTaliah NicolasElissa Perez

WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Clarence BlyNicholas CalwayKendall ClementsElisabeth Fils-AimeDymari GuillaumeCorey JonesAnthony LumleyShakaria McIntoshDestiny MitchellJonathan NicolasJahmir PritchardKeleyia RochelleMatayah RoderickSkye SanchezSierra SinclairJanelle TurnerLindsay Turnew

WESTON HIGH SCHOOL

Anika BlakeElliyah ClarkSydney FreemanHannah JordanJyea JoynerAshanti Malcolm-BatesAshley McCoyNneoma OnwuamaAaliyah PhillipsTimothy SimpsonShaniah SteedTomily Torres IIIMichael White, Jr.

WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

Kristina AlmeidaDawnesha Dwyer-YoungNahom HaileShamar HallMark JamesAristides Leitao Da GracaJai MathisDiahni Preval

2 0 2 0C L A S S O F

NEEDHAM HIGH SCHOOL

Angelo Correia-LopesBrandy CruzAshanti FernandesAuzhane FernandesAshyra GrantJayce GrantLeilani GuthrieAmy LimKiara McIntryeJonathan NealJazelyn NunezStephanie OgbeborChrislord PierreMaya VogtArianna WilliamsAdonay Woldegiorgis

SPECIAL THANKS

METCO DIRECTORS

Joanne Allen-WilloughbyCurtis Blyden

Jasmine Boyd-PerryJesenia Castro

Rasheedah ClaytonMichelle Crawford

Margaret Credle-ThomasLisa Gilbert-Smith

Aleisa Gittens-CarleBarbara HamiltonMarika HamiltonGrant Hightower

Shelly HindsRosa Inniss

Amy JacksonClaire JonesTony Laing

Keith LezamaMonique Marshall-Veale

Akil MondesirAndrew NyamekyeLatoya Ogunbona

Carols PerezLa Toya Rivers

Lateefah Robinson-FranckCynthia Russell

Glavia SmithSandra WaltersJustin Wilson

DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS

Pamela AngelakisPaul AustinAmy Berdos

Kathleen BodieMarguerite Connolly

Brad CrozierJohn Doherty

David FleishmanBridget GoughVictoria Greer

Ron GriffinDaniel Gutekanst

Frank HackettJulie Hackett

Laurie HunterAndrew Keough

Ben LummisDavid LussierDoug Lyons

Bill McAlduffRebecca McFall

Anna NolinEmily ParksJohn Phelan

Jon SillsPatrick SullivanCyndy TaymoreJane Tremblay

Arthur Unobskey Bella Wong

METCO, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Patrick Kimble, ChairMabel Reid Wallace, Vice Chair

B.J. Cataldo, SecretaryCheryl AntoineDarnell Billings

Michelle CrawfordJackie Daley

Dan GutekanstShelly HindsBetsy Lipson

Keith McDermottWayne Ogden

Hiten PatelStephen Pereira

Jon SillsChuck Walker

Beth Williams-BreaultDouglas Wohn

METCO HQ STAFFMilly Arbaje-Thomas

Josie ButlerLance Carter

Kenlyne ExumeKristen Fumarola

Kim HoustonRuth James

Ivette MelendezShirley Porcena

Colin StokesJames Sultan

Wilmary TejedaDeborah Ward

D. Farai WilliamsDenise Wilson

Governor Charlie BakerShawn Bernier

Joyce Ferriabough BollingJackie Bradley, Jr.,

Senator Sonia Chang-DiazCliff Chuang

Zachary CrowleyThomas DaltonShay Edmond

Councilor Kim JaneyPam Kenn

Patrick KimbleSusan Kooperstein

Madison LaCureJasmine Lestrade

Senator Jason LewisRep. David Linsky Terry McCormackDevin McCourtyDr. Jean McGuireShellee Mendes

Rep. Alice PeischMabel Reid-Wallace

Commissioner Jeffrey RileyElizabeth RocheTinea RochelleAaron Shadwell

Lena ShapiroCorey Testa

Mayor Marty Walsh

...and all the METCO families, past and present

SPECIAL THANKS

LIFT EV’RY VOICE AND SING

Lift ev’ry voice and sing,’Til earth and heaven ring;Ring with the harmonies of Liberty.Let our rejoicing riseHigh as the list’ning skies;Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,Let us march on ’til victory is won!

Stony the road we trod,Bitter the chastening rodFelt in the days when hope unborn had died.Yet, with a steady beat,Have not our weary feetCome to the place for which our fathers sighed?We have come, over a way that with tears has been watered;We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,Out from the gloomy past,’Til now we stand at lastWhere the white gleam of our bright star is cast!

God of our weary years,God of our silent tears,Thou who has brought us thus far on the way,Thou who has by Thy mightLed us into the light:Keep us forever in the path, we pray.Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee,Shadowed beneath Thy handMay we forever stand,True to our God, true to our native land!

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J. Rosamond Johnson / James Johnson