This past Monday, State Rep. Joe McGonagle was able to celebrate his pick for Massachusetts Coalition for the Status of Women (MCSW) 2020 Commonwealth Heroine Award after last year’s ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19. He was thrilled to present this award to Penny Yebba for her work with the Everett Public Schools Music Department.

“I am so glad we were finally able to honor Penny and give her the recognition she deserves,” said McGonagle. “She is an outstanding advocate for both her Everett students and our community as a whole. She doesn’t just do her job, she goes above and beyond to help these students unlock their potential and achieve their goals. So much of the success and joy of the Everett music department would not be possible without Penny and I am so grateful to have her in our community.”

Yebba is described as the “soul and heartbeat of the Everett Public Schools Music Department where her hard work and dedication have earned her the nickname “Mamma Yebbs” from her students.

“Mrs. Yebba has always been there for anything that we have needed. We wouldn’t be anywhere today without her” says Isabella Mendes, a student who has participated in the Everett Public Schools music department for six years.

Yebba has, without fanfare, donated an exuberant amount of both her own money and personal time for the students to be fed and to be financially supported to go on numerous school trips with the music ensembles. These statewide and nationally recognized music events that the Everett music department has participated in could not be organized and executed without her expertise.

“It was truly an honor to give her this award,” said McGonagle, “and I also owe a lot of thanks to Mayor DeMaria and his office without whom this ceremony would not have been possible. I am so grateful to him that even a year later, we could pull this off and recognize this very deserving woman.”