For Immediate Release

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Seniors Graduate from Northeast Metro Tech

WAKEFIELD — Superintendent David DiBarri and Principal Carla Scuzzarella are pleased to announce that 300 seniors graduated from Northeast Metro Tech last week.

On Friday, June 2, graduates from 15 different vocations received their diplomas during a ceremony at Breakheart Stadium at 6 p.m.

“It is estimated that over the next five years, approximately half a million new jobs will open in the state of Massachusetts related to vocational education,” Superintendent DiBarri told students, “What makes this data even more amazing is that during that time, there will be only about 60,000 privileged students graduating from vocational high schools. You are entering a job market with more opportunities than any other graduating class in the history of Northeast.”

Graduating students represented 15 communities:

• Chelsea: 45
• Everett: 5
• Lynn: 4
• Malden: 42
• Melrose: 17
• North Reading: 7
• Peabody: 4
• Reading: 1
• Revere: 55
• Saugus: 42
• Stoneham: 17
• Wakefield: 16
• Winchester: 3
• Winthrop: 16
• Woburn: 26

Principal Scuzzarella reminded students that the road to success is always under construction, but that detours are anything but failures. In fact, Scuzzarella said, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, Steven Spielberg was rejected both times he applied to film school at the University of Southern California and a newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he “lacked imagination and had no original ideas.”

“These are all people like you – ordinary people who kept pursuing their dream or passion,” Scuzzarella said. “They obviously were detoured, but each one found those big orange ‘Detour’ signs and got back on the right road. As Doc told Marty at the end of Back to the Future III, ‘Your future is what you make it!’ So make it a good one, Class of 2017.”

Valedictorian Nick Petkewich, of Saugus, told students that it took commitment and perseverance to get where they are today. Citing Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” Petkewich explained that students at Northeast took the road less traveled, attending a vocational school over their city or town’s high school. Taking that risk made all the difference.

Salutatorian Alexa Cuellar, of Chelsea, stated the best part of being a student at Northeast is the school’s diversity and unification.

“As students of Northeast, we all have the privilege of experiencing different cultures and ethnic backgrounds,” Cuellar said to her classmates. “All our home towns come together as one here. Our school symbolizes what America represents, what we are made of. Different people, with distinctive circumstances, varying skills and outstanding school and work ethics. Despite our differences, what I am most grateful for is the community we have created and what we stand for as a group.”

Vocational Student of the Year Joseph DeBenedictis, of Wakefield, said the greatest lesson he’s learned at Northeast is to find what you love to do and fully embrace that passion so it no longer feels like work. He added that, as graduates embark on their next chapter in life, they should remember to stay motivated, face obstacles as they’re presented and remember that with desire comes success.

Class President Nick White, of Melrose, shared life lessons learned during his time at Northeast, stating that by simply having a positive mindset and making smart choices can greatly alter one’s course.

“We must recognize that we are the future of this earth – our home and the home of the children after us,” White said. “More importantly, we must learn to accept and respect one another as human beings. So, as we leave this chapter of our lives behind, I ask one thing of each of you: that you keep a level head, an open heart and be kind toward the people you encounter on your journey.”

###