A shining moment in the life of City Year

  Superintendent Priya Tahiliani helped welcome AmeriCorps members to the 2022-2023 school year as part of City Year Greater Boston’s annual Opening Day event, further highlighting the flourishing partnership between the Everett Public Schools (EPS) and one of the nation’s preeminent educational service organizations. During her remarks on Friday, September 9 at the Hotel Commonwealth, she said, “I had the distinct pleasure of working with City Year during my 19 years in the Boston Public Schools, so I have known very well the incredible impact that City Year Corps members have on our students. And I must say that bringing City Year to the Everett Public Schools has been one of the highlights of my superintendency.”

  With critical support from EPS Chief Financial Officer Anu Medappa Jayanth and EPS Budget & Grants Director Shirley Peng, Superintendent Tahiliani welcomed City Year to Everett at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. There are five-member AmeriCorps teams in all Everett’s five K-8 buildings: the Keverian, Lafayette, Parlin, Madeline English and Whittier. Everett is the first city outside of Boston to partner with City Year, necessitating a name change to City Year Greater Boston.

  Superintendent Tahiliani was joined on the speaking program by City Year Greater Boston Senior Vice President & Executive Director Monica Roberts and Boston Public Schools Acting Superintendent Drew Echelson. Several AmeriCorps members also shared stories of why they chose to dedicate a year to service in Boston and Everett schools.

  Among Everett’s AmeriCorps members is Jamily Pimenta, a 2022 Everett High graduate who learned about City Year from a younger sibling. And Sophia Riviello, a City Year member in the EPS last school year, is a first-year teacher in the district. “The community can be assured that our partnership with City Year pays dividends, big and small, every day,” said Superintendent Tahiliani.

  Comcast/NBCUniversal sponsored the first-class event, which featured food and refreshments inside the Hotel Commonwealth’s conference area that overlooks Fenway Park. Comcast’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs for the Boston Region, Angela Holm Barson, talked about the company’s far-reaching and considerable investment in City Year programs around the country.

  “It has been abundantly clear how instrumental Corps members are in our efforts to ensure educational equity,” said Superintendent Tahiliani. “We have seen firsthand how City Year Corps members support newcomer students, stay after school to help students with homework and projects, lend an ear when a student is having a particularly difficult day, or by simply giving our students the individualized attention that they need and deserve.”

Everett AmeriCorps City Year Members

Albert N. Parlin School

Claire Norman

Emily Suher

Hannah Cehelsky

JoJo Mitchell

Maya Levitt

George Keverian School

Ro Carranza Pineda

Tom Meneghini

Emily Crespo Perez

Madjeena Philippe

Lafayette School

Catherine King

Jamily Pimenta

Matthew McCumber

Suhamia Sharif

Tashira Wallace

Madeline English School

Anke Volker

Eugene Wu

Kaley Whittle

Morgan Hannon

Varun Rajan

Whittier School

Noah Gilbert

Leon Glover

Alyssa Canfield

Dylan Clark

Kylee Monkiewicz