PEABODY — At just its second-ever graduation Tuesday afternoon, the Peabody Personalized Remote Education Program (Peabody P.R.E.P.), handed out 11 diplomas to graduating seniors, who were urged to carry on the pioneering spirit that led them to attend a virtual school.
The school, which sprung up during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides virtual learning for students from Peabody who developed a preference for the flexibility remote learning offers, and for those who have disabilities that make traditional, in-person instruction challenging. Eight of the 11 students graduating received diplomas during the ceremony in Peabody’s Black Box Theater.
Executive Director Chris Lord, who oversees Peabody P.R.E.P., delivered a brief address at the start of the ceremony, lauding the flexibility the program provides for students.
“The ability to learn where you want, when you want, has provided many opportunities for our students and their families,” he said, noting that six students logged in to their classes from overseas during the year.
Lord also said the school’s untraditional format allows some students to earn more credits than a traditional high-schooler might, with some rising high-school freshmen already beginning their high-school electives.
Lord introduced Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr., who he said has been a “tremendous supporter of our program over the years.”
During his remarks, Bettencourt said the school has “made a difference in our district, in our city, and in the lives of our students.”
He thanked students, faculty, and staff at the school for their hard work and dedication, which made a day like Tuesday possible.
“Each of you have your own story,” Bettencourt said. “I’m so happy to be a part of this special day.”
State Rep. Tom Walsh (D-Peabody) followed Bettencourt, and told the small group of students assembled in blue and white regalia that they were pioneers who bucked the traditional path for education.
“The world has changed and you are not only changing with it, but you now will change the world for the better,” Walsh said. “I wish you all well as you continue on the road to your careers.”
Next, Superintendent of Schools Josh Vadala reflected on his own background as the grandson of immigrants who valued education above all else, and urged students to continue prioritizing their own learning.
“What my parents and my grandparents instilled in me… was that education, no matter where you do it, no matter how you do, is your path to happiness and success,” Vadala said. “Each of you have taken a very unique path, and it might not look the same as your peers. I hope you… find something that you love, and that you really enjoy your time, dedicate that time to your education, to yourself, and I know that you will all be successful and happy in the years to come.”
The audience then heard from Valedictorian Danial Mirza, who earned a round of applause when he announced he is headed to the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall to pursue a degree in engineering. Mirza acknowledged higher education isn’t for everyone and praised his classmates who are pursuing gap years or heading straight into the workforce.
“I want you all to be proud of whatever you’re doing, you all are going to make it far in life,” he said.
As one of just seven fully-virtual schools in the state, Peabody P.R.E.P. is certainly unique. Lord said the small contingent of heads of school for programs like P.R.E.P. meet on a monthly basis. One of those fellow heads of school, Carl Tillona of the Pittsfield Public Virtual Academy, delivered the keynote speech during the ceremony Tuesday — virtually, of course.
Tillona echoed Walsh in hammering home the pioneering nature of the students, going as far as to read the definition of the word “pioneer” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
“You graduating seniors of Peabody P.R.E.P. are pioneers in virtual education. Take that in for a moment. There is historical significance in today,” Tillona said. “You had to have courage to keep on this path of virtual education, and knew that it was right for you, while probably others were saying ‘Go back to in-person, why are you doing that?’ But something inside you had the courage to say ‘this was right for me.’”
“I challenge you to keep this pioneer spirit alive within you, and you will do great things in life,” he continued.
After Tillona’s remarks, each of the eight students was given the chance to offer brief remarks after receiving their diplomas from Lord. Three students did so — Tatyana Leboeuf, Narayana Sanchez, and Michaely Teles.
Leboeuf spoke about the importance of the accessibility services the school offered, allowing her to take advantage of captioning while masks made it difficult to lip-read.
Sanchez thanked the school’s teachers and staff for the support they provided her, while Teles thanked God.
Lord then handed out awards to the students — first presenting seals of biliteracy to Sanchez and Teles, before recognizing Leboeuf, Teles, and Nicolas Silva with coins minted in their birth years.
Those students earned the coins by keeping track of the “one-minute field trips” Lord would take students on, by talking about the histories of different coins at the start of each school day. Silva earned a special nod for earning 152.5 credits — more than any other student in the class.
Lord concluded by expressing his belief that Peabody P.R.E.P. represents the next evolution in education.
“I am proud to be at the spearhead of the educational spear that we are throwing out there for what education should look like for young people in the future,” he said.
