NEW BEDFORD - Alma del Mar celebrated the graduation of its largest eighth grade cohort last week with 128 graduates receiving their diploma. These graduates will now attend the high school of their choosing, including Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech, New Bedford High School (including its Academy of Honors), Bishop Stang, Bristol Aggie, and Kent’s Hill School.
Forty-four eighth grade scholars graduated from Alma’s Sarah D. Ottiwell Campus:
Easton Almeida (receiving the award for academic excellence in Math)
Maya Amaral
Zyel Andrade
Gemma Aviles
Nia Barnes
Ava Cabral (receiving the award for academic excellence in social studies)
Alan Campos Gonzalez
Byron Carranza
Alanyi Chartier
Khloe Chartier
Joelliss DeJesus
Jayden Dejesus-Vieira
Arell Ferran
Landen Florent
Isabella Fortin
Ava Franco
Nicholas Genereux
Mark Jacob Glinski
Sofia Jimon De La Cruz
Aria Lague
Damoses Lopes
Edward Lopes (receiving the award for academic excellence in science)
Denisse Mendoza
Destiny Mestieri
Julianna Oliveira
Kevin Ordonez
Cesar Osorio
Shaelianie Padua
Jayleahna Peraza-Rivera
George Pierre
Kaleb Rodrigues
Janiyah Rodriguez
Yamani Rodriguez (receiving the award for academic excellence in ELA)
Nyzaiah Rodriguez
Jeremiah Salmeron-Sabio
Destiny Sanchez
Yasmarie Sanchez-Santiago
Luka Saude
Kaileen Sisimit
Jason Sousa
Kevin Tamup Farfan
Jorge Torres
Joel Vazquez Jr.
Lyrik Warmack
Staff keynote speaker Curt Santos (Middle School Science Teacher) was joined by scholar keynote speakers Byron Carranza and Gemma Aviles.
“In my years of serving the population here in New Bedford I can say with great joy that my time here at Alma has been the most rewarding time in my career as a teacher and further validates my decision to follow my dream in becoming one,” Mr. Santos told the crowd of graduates, family, staff, alumni and trustees. “I strive each and every day to be the teacher for my scholars that I needed when I was their age growing up in the West End of New Bedford … This year we have grown together and faced every single challenge head on and have crushed all the goals we have set for ourselves.”
A total of 84 eighth grade scholars graduated from Alma’s Frederick Douglass Campus the next day, on Friday, June 14. Two of the graduates, Ricardo Lopez and Adriana Moura, reflected on their middle school experiences during the ceremony.
“As we stand here today, ready to move on to high school, we can't help but reflect on the remarkable transformation we've undergone,” Lopez told the crowd. “We've grown not only in height but in knowledge, confidence, and character. Leaving middle school is bittersweet. We say goodbye to familiar hallways, cherished friendships, and teachers who have guided us with patience and care. Yet, we also look forward with anticipation to the future, ready to face new challenges and seize new opportunities. Middle school has taught us more than just academic lessons. It has taught us the value of perseverance, the importance of kindness, and the power of collaboration. Especially here at Alma, where we had to embrace this schools’ habits of Responsibility, consideration, and service.”
Below is the full list of Douglass Campus 8th grade graduates:
Miguel Aguiar Farias
Darianie Alvarez (Receiving the award for excellence in demonstrating the habit of Consideration)
Mishaela Andrade
Henry Anselmo
Joziah Aponte
Drew Bachand (Receiving the award for academic excellence in ELA)
Manuel Barbosa
Aubree Blanchard
Damien Cabrera
Aniel Cardenas
Calvin Chandler
Avriey Chumack
Josiah Chumack
Jennalee Coj Pinto (Receiving the award for academic excellence in Social Studies)
Nora Coj-Ventura (Receiving the award for academic excellence in Science)
Jayriel Colon
Alexander Costa
Bella Crossman
Natalia Cruz
Kendra D'Almeida Esmeralda (Receiving the award for academic excellence in Math)
Owen De Abreu
Sadie Dubois
Trinity Duggan
Jancarlos Enamorado-Pleitez
Amelia Enzian
Alexandra Espinal
Amalya Feliciano Romero
Dominic Felix
Connor Figueiredo
Johny Garcia
Devaughn Gonsalves
Gabriel Gonzalez
Gabriella Gonzalez
Chanelys Hernandez
Julian Johnson
Dylan Kiendra
Harley Labonte
Anna Lee Ferreira
Connor Lipka
Lily Lopes
Ricardo Lopez
Elizabeth Lopez Fernandez
Adriana Loura
Jilmarie Lovos-Morales
Genesis Martinez
Cristhian Martinez Mejia
Jayden Martins
Breanee Mazariegos
Kaiden Medeiros
Evan Medina
Tristhan Medina Alvarado
Paola Medrano Alfaro
Olivia Mendes
Keshliam Morales
Allan Munoz Borjas
Jordin Nundah
Lea Okeefe
Virginia Oldrid (Receiving the award for excellence in demonstrating the habit of Responsibility)
Danny Ordonez-Irene
Raul Ortega
Mekhi Osae-Flash
Brianna Pagan
Tatiana Perez
Amy Perez-Chitic
Tristan Pineiro-Monroig
Jefferson Portillo-Guerra
Aiden Potter
Keeira Raimondo
Sofia Ramos Rodriguez
Giuliana Ribeiro
Lexi-Ann Rinehart
Jesliani Rivera Osorio
Vianqui Riz-Hicho
Max Roderiques
Joehniel Rodriguez
Rylan Santiago
Jayden Santos
Alexandre Semedo
Maurice Smith (Receiving the award for excellence in demonstrating the habit of Service)
Sajid Talukder
Oscar Tamup Chamorro
Allyson Tejeda
Logan Tiffany
Nikolai-Royce Tripp
Of Alma’s 128 eighth grade graduates, 54% will attend GNB Voc-Tech, 37% will attend New Bedford High School (many are enrolled in New Bedford’s Honors program), 3% will attend Dartmouth High, 2% will attend Bristol Aggie. One scholar has been accepted to Kent’s Hill School, an independent college preparatory boarding school in Maine.
About Alma del Mar Charter Schools:
Alma del Mar Charter Schools operates two K-8th grade charter public schools in New Bedford. The schools are tuition-free and enrollment is set by a public lottery each winter. Alma’s mission is to put every scholar on the path to college and to challenge them to be service-minded leaders. Alma achieves this mission by providing a demanding and supportive education to every scholar who walks through their doors. Alma features a longer school day, a longer school year, high expectations for all scholars, and outstanding teachers from across the country.