Tayana Antoine describes the similarities between a teen mom and an older sister. How her dual role as caretaker for her younger siblings and as a maturing adult can be both stressful and rewarding.

Jenessa Otabor (Fenway High 2023) shares how an educational opportunity turned from stressful to rewarding; once she learned how to speak up for herself.

Rashad Brown-Mitchell was born and raised in Boston, yet his essay tells a tale of two cities. One is the brochure Boston, its prosperous streets lined with historical buildings. The other story is of Boston’s neighborhoods, marred by a stark inequity…

When Catari Giglio was a junior at West Roxbury Academy, the School Department announced that they were going to close the high school, piling more chaos on top of an already stressful time. But as Catari’s disappointment grew, so did her desire to fight against the decision…

Growing up, Azadi’s uncle took him and his cousins to Breakfast IV Brothers: an organization dedicated to fostering community between Black men and boys through monthly breakfasts. Though Azadi didn’t always love waking up early, those mornings turned out to be well worth it…

Lissa was raised to ignore the parts of herself that were Black, instead acknowledging only her Dominican heritage. But that changed when the foster care system put her with a family that was proud of their roots, forcing her to confront her own internalized biases about race...

Salamata Barry was born in Guinea. When she was eight years old, a dangerous cultural custom left her feeling powerless and traumatized. Nearly a decade later, Salamata found herself at Fenway High, writing her college application. The resulting essay shows how she regained her voice, and how she plans to use it…

Anthony Gonzalez’s essay shares a coming-of-age moment that gave him a blueprint for his adult life. Though a trip to the principal’s office introduced Anthony to the idea of “code-switching”, it took a while for the lesson to sink in…