FRAMINGHAM — Stacy Santos refuses to be defined by her incapacity. She’s a shortly-to-be graduate of Joseph Keefe Technological High Faculty.
Santos, 18, graduates with the rest of the Class of 2021 at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Warren Meeting Center in Ashland.
“I overcame a incapacity,” Santos stated, 1 that place a assumed in her head when she was youthful that “I seriously did not believe graduation was portion of my potential.”
Santos was diagnosed with dyslexia about 10 years back. The disorder makes reading through difficult owing to complications figuring out speech appears, and finding out how they relate to letters and words and phrases.
There is no remedy.
Successful blend
With a combination of resolve and loving help from her mom, Santos progressed from a youngster who doubted her talents to a single who values her tutorial and artistic strengths.
With an extraordinary 3.28 quality level typical, Santos will show up at the Massachusetts College of Artwork and Structure in the drop. She hopes to come to be a skilled animator.
“That would be awesome,” she explained.
Amazing is a term Santos made use of regularly through her interview for this tale. It described her encounter at the Carroll University, the place she been given specialized academic coaching from the fifth as a result of ninth grades.
Awesome is also how Santos described her expertise having the tour at Keefe ahead of determining to enroll there for quality 10. It was close to her Framingham house, and she linked with the school’s style and design and visual arts department.
Extra than neat
But when it arrives to her mom, Eva Santos, the phrase cool just does not entirely describe how much Santos appreciates what her mother did for her.
Even though Santos struggled in elementary school to read and produce, it was her mother who believed in her, and enrolled her daughter in the Carroll Faculty, which can help learners with language-primarily based mastering discrepancies like dyslexia.
“When you are a kid, you don’t recognize what dad and mom do behind the scenes,” Santos said. “My mother pushed me, obtained me into the Carroll University, and aided me by means of a complicated time.
“I have a ton of admiration for that. I really do enjoy my mom.”
Nervous arrival
Santos was anxious when she arrived at Keefe, and wondered if she could reduce it academically. All those emotions of question melted away when her English teacher promptly promoted her to the honors-degree class.
Examining speed and comprehension can continue to get a minimal additional time for Santos in honor’s English, and she sometimes misspells a phrase. But her dyslexia does not present the emotional battle it when did.
“Dyslexia is not likely absent. I will have it my entire lifetime, and I have realized to are living with it,” she stated.
As for graduation working day, Santos claimed it’s heading to be “pretty neat,” due to the fact it will be the initial time she has ever worn a cap and gown. And she’s bringing her yearbook, for the reason that she wishes all of her faculty good friends to indication it.
“It’s likely to be a combination of joyful and sad. It’s the stop of an era, and a new commencing,” Santos explained.
Legacy of management
As for the legacy Santos leaves powering at Keefe, she desires to be remembered by her teachers and friends as anyone who normally aided some others — regardless of whether in her function as a scholar ambassador who prospects excursions of the school, doing work with students in her lessons, or sharing her viewpoint with other college students who have a discovering incapacity.
“Her legacy is how amazing a human being she is,” claimed Andrea Fisichella, Santos’ guidance counselor at Keefe.
Not seeking to be defined by her disability, Santos has tips for many others that encounter worries.
“I want youngsters to know that they will get there. It will take a ton of difficult do the job, but you will eventually make it,” she explained.
Henry Schwan is a multimedia journalist for the Each day News. Follow Henry on Twitter @henrymetrowest. He can be attained at [email protected] or 508-626-3964.
Course of 2021, Joseph P. Keefe Complex Significant College
The subsequent students ended up scheduled to graduate June 3 from Joseph P. Keefe Technical Substantial University in Framingham:
Rachael Jane Aarden
Paul Jacob Abrahams
Tiffany Anne Adams
Liliana Ali Alfaro
Olivia Irene Anderson
Rafaela Brandao Araujo
Anthony Alexander Archila Guzman
Jack Michael Arena
Denilson Enrique Arteaga Espinoza
Colden Brian Baer
Jacob Paul Baker
Debora Cristina Barbosa Borgem
Chantal Cristina Barroso Jaquez
Hailey Elizabeth Bastiansen
Cinthia Angelica Batista
Stephanie Belalcazar Corrales
James Michael Bender
Sylvie Christine Bielak
Leon Lawrence Blaski
Bruno Rodrigues Bomfim
Richard Anthony Boston Jr
Skye Valen Bradford
Emily Rosemary Brady
Edith Penina Brickman
Gabrielle Marie Buentello
Troy Alan Bykowski
Edwin Joel Calderon
Paolo Andres Calvo
Kayla Lynn Canning
Emely Capellan Urbaez
Allison Cerrato-Carrillo
Alec Daniel Chan
Hannah Lee Ciniello
Desarae Rose Cioppa
Michael David Clifford
Justin Kenneth Cole
Breno Costa
Gabriel Cruz
Ester Soares Da Silva
Harold Brenier De Aza
Ivan De Leon
Jennifer Lilian De Leon
Sheerley Maythe De Leon
Emilly Junia De Souza
Giulia Gomes De Souza
Madison Mardi DeBalsi
Nyomi Marie Delgado
Noah Francis DeSouza
William Michael Dimidis
Zion Lee DosSantos
Giovanni Gilmer Douglass
Vanessa Michele Durning
Chase Michael Ellingwood
Ryan John Facchini
Ryan Barros Felix
Gabriel Da Silva Ferreira
Luana de Souza Ferreira
Jackson Brian Flores
Zamya Ruth Furtado
Hinks Kelly Gelin
Josvardo Angenol Gomez
Kimberling Nathalie Gonzalez
Daniel Thomas Goyette
Jason Thomas Gunning
Oliver Burke Hamerla
John Norton Hansberry
Daniel Robert Harding
Tyler Jason Hill
Brock Howatt
Bruce Allen Howland Jr
Ryan Christopher Hunt
Miles Enzo Ignoto
Jordane Jessica James
Dayna Symone Jones
Jafet Lee Jorge Fortis
Scott Ryan Joyce
Benjamin David Kohler
Alexander Landaverde
Alexis Jade Lang
Juan Antonio Leiva Ramirez
Michaela Elizabeth Lincoln
Daniel Xavier Lopes
Nicholas Carmino Lords
Kevin Martins Lorenco
Jalianette Luciano
Kieran Luff
Nolan Victor James MacIver
Ian Gramkow Mahr
Angelina Corrine Marchant-Duncan
Idalina Pieper Marques
Ruby Isabel Martinez
Davin Sterling Maskell
Cesar Hernanis Matos
Carlos Josue Matos Acosta
Ryan Francis McCarthy
Shane William McCarthy
Alexandra Jakeline Melendez
Fabiana Suheily Mendez-Torres
Kiersten Elizabeth Miller
Peter Frank Holm Miller
Karina Lynn Mojica
Angel Jose Montanez
Jordi Kennan Montanez
Kathysha Jocasty Nieves
Daniel Nino
Ana Julia Oliveira
Harry Silva Oliveira
Jasmine Marrie Ortega
Hector Gabriel Ortiz Colon
Victoria Alejandra Ortiz Colon
Scott Michael Palmer
Daniel James Parker
Katherine Daniela Pedroza Quevedo
Ernest Gabriel Praise Perce
Liberty Ada Perron
Kelvin Gregory Phelps
Nicholas John Picone
Lucas Ramos Pires
Ryan James Potenzone
Jared Tanner Prespolis
Noah James Prince
Hector Mario Ramirez
Juan Manuel Alencar Ramirez
Jose Antonio Resto
Tiana Angelica Resto
Mia Reyes
Paige Rezendes
Corde Amanda Rhodes
Kevin Oliveira Rodrigues
Anthony David Faith Rosa
Delvison Rosa Martinez
Maiyah Ivette Rosal
Jake Alan Roy
Prabhnoor Saini
Guilherme Filipe Goncalves Simoes Ribeiro Salgado
Jose Antonio Samayoa
Dianavel Marieliz Sandoval
Camila Guidine Santos
Stacy Santos
Stephanie Yorlani Cassimiro Santos
Matthew Savino
Dylan Austin Schrag
Owen Alexander Sheehy
Joe Michael Smith-Value
Joyce Cassimiro Soares
Crystal Pucce Soeiro
Sabrynna Rafaella De Faria Souza
Owen Roger Stanley
Zachary John Steenbruggen
Tyler Anthony Stinson
Ryan James Swallow
Peter Alexander Sweet
Ryan Christopher Swift
Aiden Christopher Sylvia
Peter Mauricio Molina Tardif
Emanuel Tejeda
Annalya Marie Terrelonge
Matthew James Tivnon
Evan Michael Tremarche
Kendall Grayce Tufford
Charles Christian Vabulas
Emily Gabriela Valdez Donis
Angela Marie Valentin Ortiz
Filipe Souza Vasconcelos
Julian Andres Vasquez Rosa
Mark Daniel Velasquez
Christopher Antonio Velez Cedeno
Camilla Batista Viriato
Alanah Ruth Wills
Gavin Lawrence Wilson
Harrison Matthew York
Anderson Gabriel Zabatta
Sebastian Roberto Zani
Nicolas Zapata
Ethan Philip Ze’evi