LYNN — The Rotary Club of Lynn held its quarterly 8th-Grade Recognition Program Thursday, celebrating students from across the city who have demonstrated resilience and embody the Rotary’s mission of “service above self.”
Representatives from Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Breed Middle School, Pickering Middle School, St. Mary’s, St. Pius, KIPP Academy, and North Shore Christian were recognized for overcoming adversity and making a positive impact in their schools and communities.
The honorees were nominated by their teachers and school leaders and invited, along with their families and school personnel — including teachers, counselors, and nurses — to a luncheon at Old Tyme Italian Cuisine. Each student received a gift bag containing a framed certificate of achievement, a letter for their school file, and a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble.
This event has been a hallmark of the Rotary Club of Lynn for 30 years and has been sponsored by Riverworks Credit Union since its inception in 1996. The program was the brainchild of local businessman and Lynn Rotarian Joe Coombs, who credited a teacher’s guidance during his challenging middle school years with being instrumental to his later success.
Coombs, like many young people, had struggles in both school and at home, but a teacher saw him struggling and took the time to provide him with the support and guidance he needed. The end result was that Coombs was able to improve academically and ultimately became a very successful local businessperson, according to a press release from the Club.
Tristan Smith, who served as the event’s MC, explained the program’s selection process: “They ask that the eighth-grade teachers and staff nominate someone, and then all the schools send someone, and they send a little write-up and then we have a luncheon and the kids receive the bag with the $25 gift card.”
Smith also highlighted the recurring theme among the students honored: “I think that the constant theme is that all of these kids have overcome hurdles and challenges, and middle school in general, but eighth grade is not the easiest time to be a kid, I think across the board… These kids have overcome obstacles and overcome challenges and done so in a really amazing way. And so it’s just a recognition of that.”
On the importance of recognition, Smith added, “Well, I really hope that it shows them that when doing these good things in their community and overcoming these things, I hope that it helps them see that they are being noticed and that their teachers and staff and families are noticing.”
“All of the Lynn Rotarians who are here are sort of part of that village that it takes to raise a child. So I really hope that for them, they just realize that people are noticing the great things that they’re doing and that it matters. It matters to be a part of your community. It matters to keep showing up.” Smith stated.
Ray Bastarache, chairman of the Rotary Club’s scholarship and membership committees, and longtime leader of the 8th-Grade Recognition Program, spoke about the program’s history and goals.
Bastarache has spent 42 years in education in Lynn, working as a teacher, principal, and deputy superintendent in the Lynn Public Schools for 36 years, and then serving six years as the first head of school at Saint Mary’s.
“So any program involving education, I have a keen interest in,” he stated.
Bastarache emphasized the program’s focus: “We’re not looking to recognize a student who’s at the top of the class, perfect attendance, or may go to an Ivy League school when they graduate high school. We’re looking for a kid who is dealing with some kind of challenge.”
“…a student who has a learning disability, we’ve had students who have come to this country not speaking a word of English three years ago and taking all ESL program classes, and now they’re in the eighth grade, and they’re getting Bs and C’s and all their classes are in English. We want to recognize a kid who was working through whatever challenge they face.”
Reflecting on the program’s broader impact, Bastarache said, “We let them bring family members… it shines the light on a student who perhaps for the rest of their educational career will not be singled out.”
Bastarache also emphasized how the program reinforces the Rotary value of service above self: “It sends a message that there are people out there who care about you and want to recognize and that you are doing the right thing by showing up every day, being ready for class, doing your best. You don’t have to get an A on the test or even a B, and to be a good citizen in the school.”
The Rotary Club of Lynn’ 8th-Grade Recognition Program continues to be a meaningful tradition that encourages students to persevere, contribute to their communities, and see the value of their efforts recognized. Through decades of dedication, sponsorship from Riverworks Credit Union, and the involvement of committed educators and volunteers, the program shines a spotlight on students whose resilience and character exemplify Rotary’s enduring principles.
