PCSS I in Everett and PCSS II in Saugus celebrated the schools’ graduating classes last Thursday evening, June 6, in a combined ceremony at Faneuil Hall. Of the 82 seniors graduating (37 from PCSS I and 45 from PCSS II), 100 percent of the students who applied received acceptance letters to college.
At PCSS I, students were accepted into prestigious colleges and universities across the country, including Brown University, Tufts University and Boston University. This year’s graduating class earned a total of $2,847,588 in scholarships.
Meanwhile, the graduating class at PCSS II also excelled, with students set to attend universities including MIT, Cornell, Columbia and Johns Hopkins. The class of 2019 earned $9,580,000 in scholarships and grants.
Seyda Kilic, of Melrose, was PCSS I Valedictorian, achieving the highest GPA in the school’s history. Manan Bajaj, of Malden, was PCSS II Valedictorian. Gessy Leila Paul, of Everett, was PCSS I Salutatorian and Aiman Najah, of Danvers, was PCSS II Salutatorian.
“We are proud of all of our graduates, who worked hard to make it to this stage,” said Barish Icin, PCSS Chief executive officer. “We are excited to see what future they carve out for themselves as they take their next steps to college and beyond.”
Dr. Yves Salomon-Fernández, president of Greenfield Community College, delivered an inspirational commencement address. During her career, Dr. Salomon-Fernandez has served as President of Cumberland County College and Interim President of MassBay Community College in Wellesley. Dr. Salomon-Fernández has also held research, management, and executive positions at private, selective, and public research institutions, as well as open access community colleges. She spent a decade teaching as an adjunct professor at various colleges including Boston College, Salem State University, and Cambridge College.
PCSS’s curriculum focuses on developing strong math and science skills and many of the graduates plan to pursue careers in math and science. The students must pass five math and five science classes in order to graduate. Students must also complete 40 hours of community service. The school has a 195-day school calendar, extended days (7:30 a.m. – 3:35 p.m.), tutoring until 4:30, and voluntary Saturday classes for students who need extra help.
MCAS scores have consistently shown PCSS students surpassing both state and district averages in all subjects and grades.