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SSJP graduates Modinat Abiodun and Kwame Adams compare photos during the ceremony.
Tatiana Cortes is passionate about social justice and making her Mission Hill community a better place. This year, the New Mission High School senior had the opportunity to bring her two passions to life with Passageway, BWH’s domestic violence intervention program.
“It’s been really fun,” said the Boston College-bound student of her experience conducting off-shift outreach about Passageway’s services to BWH staff working nights and weekends and leading youth training on healthy relationships. “I like the Passageway advocates, and I like my mentor, Mardi Chadwick. I feel like they listen to my ideas, not like I’m just some high school student.”
Cortes is one of 24 students who graduated June 15 from the Student Success Jobs Program, which marked its 10th year of pairing students from Boston high schools with meaningful jobs, mentorship and other resources at BWH. Youth Programs Manager Amy Belyea carefully matches students with mentors who can take the time to help students fulfill their potential and learn about many areas of health care.
Kwame Adams, who has been in the program for three years, is the valedictorian of his class at Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers. “SSJP has given me the means to explore; I hadn’t known about pathology or lab control when I began,” he said. “My grades in chemistry and biology went sky high.”
Mentors, many of whom maintain their contact with students long after they graduate from high school, take an active role in the program. “No words can express how rewarding it is to be part of this program,” said mentor Raina Fichorova, MD, PhD, of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Thank you to the students for letting us touch your lives; your talents are the future.”
SSJP gave out 18 scholarships to graduating seniors this year—one more way the program provides opportunities and support for outstanding students. In addition, Cortes was rewarded for her hard work throughout high school with a full scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Cortes’ resume is a testament to her focus and drive. She graduated with a 3.7 GPA, finishing fifth in her class. She is a youth leader at Sociedad Latina and was vice president of her high school’s National Honor Society chapter. As the daughter of two deaf parents, she knows sign language. She is also the first in her family to go to college.
“My mom and the people around me–at the Brigham, school and Sociedad Latina–keep me motivated to excel,” said Cortes. “I have a list of things that I want to do with social justice. I’ve learned about how big an issue domestic violence is, and from my involvement with BWH and Sociedad Latina, I’ve seen how important it is to invest in my community.”
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