COLLEGE CHEER
Local youths celebrate their college destinations with pep rally festivities
CUMBERLAND – One by one, as upcoming graduates from Blackstone Valley Prep High School’s first senior class strolled onto the stage inside the high school’s gymnasium, hip-hop and rock-and-roll blared on the speakers and underclassmen sang along with the lyrics, clapped to the rhythm, and danced from the bleachers.
Friday afternoon’s event took on the atmosphere of a high-profile concert in front of droves of celebratory fans.
“This fall I’m going to CCRI!” some shouted, to the raucous cheer of their friends and family. “I’m taking my talents to the University of Rhode Island!” others would say, to the adulation of those in attendance – some of whom they’d be joining as they further their educational careers.
The jovial atmosphere at BVP High School on Friday was a part of the “National Signing Day” initiative, in which the school’s first senior class would declare their college decisions. Since the school opened its doors to its first fifth
grade class, BVP has worked to guide its seniors through the college application process, which was celebrated on Friday.
Cumberland resident Faith Ramos, one of the students who has been with BVP since fifth grade, will attend Boston University this fall. She said Friday was a day to celebrate, saying “so much hard work was put into us, to live up to the name as a college prep school.”
While she was beaming with excitement as she unveiled the red-and-white pennant signifying she’d be attending Boston University, Ramos was not ashamed to admit that she’s a bit nervous about what the future holds for her. That said, she quickly noted that she was “really excited for the next step.”
Fellow Cumberland resident Raymond Varone, who also has been at BVP since fifth grade, will attend College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. As a first-generation college student, Varone said Friday’s rally meant everything to him.
“To see how happy my parents are, that the hard work paid off, it means everything,” Varone said.
Like Ramos, Varone said he was “wicked nervous” about going to college, saying it was the first time he’d be living away from home, but just as quickly as Ramos said those nerves may also be attributable to anticipation, so too did Varone.
“I’m excited,” he said. As he watched the seniors announce their college intentions one after another, Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee had tears in his eyes but a smile on his face. As mayor of Cumberland, McKee spearheaded the creation of Rhode Island Mayoral Academies, which passed as part of the state budget in 2008. RIMA includes the public charter school network for Blackstone Valley Prep and McK-
ee presently sits on the BVP Board of Directors.
“I’m very lucky to have been with you all from the very beginning of the journey,” McKee told the seniors. “Wherever you go, your BVP family will be with you … We can’t wait to see what you’re going to achieve next year.”
Following the senior class celebration, McKee said he felt it was a “tremendous accomplishment” by the people who charted this course – from a team of dedicated teachers to administrators and, of course, the students.
Central Falls Mayor James A. Diossa, also a member of the BVP Board of Directors, said “the day we have all been waiting for is finally
here … I’m so excited to be here to witness this moment. I’m so excited to hear where you are going.”
The keynote speaker for Friday’s ceremony was Community College of Rhode Island President Meghan Hughes. She said that as a student who went to public schools in Indiana in the 1970s and 1980s, she’d never before seen anything quite like the bash at BVP on Friday.
She told the students that the legacy they’d leave as they go on to college would be seen in their reputation and the younger students who’ll follow their trail.
A diploma from BVP, she added, is proof of not only intelligence but also that these
graduating seniors aren’t afraid of hard work.
“I felt enormous optimism explode when I walked in today,” she said, telling the seniors and the school’s underclassmen that they were the ones who’d answer the questions that have puzzled generations before them – from solving poverty to curing cancer to exploring space.
David Jose, dean of college and careers at BVP High, said he “could not be more proud of the hard work … This is your day!”
According to Jose, the seniors sent out 430 applications to 122 colleges and universities around the country and the world. The students also received $5 million in scholarships and aid.