Location: Boston

Seniors Are College Bound!

For the fifth time in as many years SquashBusters is proud to announce that all of the graduating senior class will be enrolling in college. We are extremely proud of all the hard work they have done and are excited to see them take this next step.

The list of schools below reflects the drive and determination that this special group of students has brought to the classroom and to the squash courts over their years in the program. From the time they entered in seventh grade these students were exposed to college campuses through college visits and tournaments. Through weekly academic sessions and various workshops they were provided with critical thinking tools that will help them tackle any problem that may arise on their academic journey. And SquashBusters’ focus on community service and health has prepared them to be highly engaged members of their community and beyond.

As seniors, students were able to capitalize on all that hard work and make higher education a reality. With the help of Mikhail Darlington, Manager or Post-Secondary Access and Success, and Sally Rowland, Program Associate, and the support of their college mentors, seniors persevered through the extensive college application process with great success. They were tasked with writing a compelling personal statement, formulating balanced and challenging lists of schools, and filling out countless hours of application and verification forms. But the results were worth the hard work – in addition to the acceptances, an average of 85% of the cost of attendance is covered by grants of scholarships.

“This class was a very special class. Their willingness to go the extra mile when they had so much going on in their academic and personal lives speaks volumes” said Mikhail. “No matter what challenge arose, they were always ready to fight through it. And I think that will reflect the amazing people they will become”.

We are proud to say that next year the class of 2019 will be attending the following schools:

KYLE ADAR Bunker Hill Community College	SNIDER AMAZAN Foundation Year at Northeastern University
JOSIAH BENNETT Wesleyan University	NAA-JUAH BENTON Bridgewater State University
ANGELA CAO Connecticut College	YULIELIAN CEPEDA RODRIGUEZ UMass-Boston
DILON DAWKINS UMass-Boston	DENITRA DOUGLAS-ROBERTSON Boston University
KEISA FERREIRA Foundation Year at Northeastern University	GERARDO GARCIA Foundation Year at Northeastern University
NY HO Northeastern University	VANEL JOSEPH Foundation Year at Northeastern University
MEI RUAN JUAN UMass – Amherst	RUSSEL SANCHEZ Foundation Year at Northeastern University
KAYMARI TEJEDA UMass – Boston	ARIANY TERRERO UMass-Boston
SPENCER THOMAS Becker College	BEVERLY VO Tufts University
CYPRESS WILSON Wentworth Institute of Technology	KAETU WLEH Amherst College

Once they graduate, however, their involvement with SquashBusters does not end. SQB recognizes that a successful graduate is one that is able enter society with all the skills necessary to thrive. Corey Schafer, Director of College and Alumni Success, remains in regular contact with each college-enrolled alum. She assists them in navigating the life-altering transition to college and helps them access resources they need to complete their journey. This year we have eleven graduates who have completed that journey and are off to start a new one as they enter their careers.

Below are the SQB alumni who graduated from college this year:

EMANUEL ANDRADE Boston University	NELSMARIE MATOS ARROYO Boston College
HELAM AYANO Northeastern University	ARMANDO BARRAGAN Norwich University
LOSANGELA BATISTA St. Lawrence University	MAKAYLA BECKFORD Simmons College
AARON COSS Bentley University	KEVEN DEPINA Bates College
ILMA GOLEMI Suffolk University	ABEL HAILU Northeastern University
MICHAEL HOGARTY Emmanuel College	QUERBY JANVIER Simmons College
JUAN LOPERA Clark University	CRISTIAN LOPEZ UMass – Amherst
ALEJANDRA MADRID Mass Bay Community College	ANTENEH MEKONNEN Roger Williams University
XHORXHIA PAPA Northeastern University	DEANNA PETTWAY Northeastern University
ZUSEX ROMERO UMass – Boston	BENNY SANQUINTIN UMass – Boston
HENRY SANTANA Lasell College	KILSY SOTO Bunker Hill Community College
JASMINE ZHOU Providence College

Continuing their commitment to education that they developed early on at SquashBusters, the following alumni will enroll in graduate school this fall:

QUERBY JANVIER Simmons College, Master of Nursing	JUAN LOPERA Clark University, Master of Business Administration
XHORXHIA PAPA MA College of Pharmacy, Doctor of Pharmacy	VANIA PEREIRA Brown University, Masters of American Studies
ZOE RUSSELL Harvard University, School of Law

We are so proud of all our graduates and can’t wait to hear about the next stage of their journeys.

A Year of Great Squash!

The SquashBusters Boston squash program continued to improve and experience success during the 2018-2019 program year.  In addition to internal squash practices and challenge matches, SQB Boston students participated in 64 external competitions – 42 matches and 22 tournaments.  These opportunities brought students to new cities such as New York and Washington DC, and to colleges and universities such as Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, and Yale.  High school students received an average of 8 competitive opportunities during the program year, and produced impressive results.

In their second year representing Boston Public Schools, SQB Boston’s varsity teams experienced banner seasons.  The girls and boys went 14-3 and 16-2 respectively, records which included wins over schools such as Milton Academy, Episcopal High School, Shipley School, Pomfret School, and Loomis Chaffee School.  At the High School National Championships in Hartford, CT, the boys took home top-honors in Division 4 while the girls moved up a division and finished fifth in Division 3.  Both results were marked improvements over the previous year.

A month later, teams traveled to Yale University with 90 students for Urban Team Nationals.  Strong results continued, as SquashBusters’ teams won 3 separate divisions, including the A-Division for high school girls.

Helping fuel the improvement in skill-level were the Elite Training Squad and Squash Mentors Program.  The Elite Training Squad is a group of 20 SQB Boston students who participate weekly in an intense and focused practice early on Saturday mornings, run by volunteers Geoff and Bryan Keating.  Additionally, 18 students participated in the squash mentors program, which paired our most driven players with volunteers from the Boston area who provided them with one-on-one coaching and mentoring.  A huge thank you to Geoff, Bryan, and all of our squash mentors for making these programs possible!

Lastly, the SQB-Boston squash program is proud to be sending four graduates to play varsity college squash next season.  We wish Angela (Connecticut College), Beverly (Tufts University), Josiah (Wesleyan University), and Kaetu (Amherst College) all the best in the next phase of their squash careers!

New Balance & SQB: Home & Away

What is is like work at one the world’s premiere athletic apparel manufacturers? SQB Boston students got a chance to find out.

New Balance is an incredible partner to SQB in ways that go far beyond financial support. This past spring, SquashBusters had the opportunity to continue to deepen that partnership through the New Balance & SQB: Home & Away Experience. This pilot initiative took place on two different days. First, 20 SQB Boston Seniors went to New Balance HQ for career exploration and a site visit (Away). A month later, a team of New Balance associates came to SQB Boston (Home) and participated in an “SQB afternoon” led entirely by the seniors.

The SQB@New Balance Career Exploration was an opportunity for our students to gain exposure to diverse career paths and professional development skills and to network with New Balance associates.  The visit involved a tour of HQ, two panel discussions, Q&A, and concluded with lunch. The first group of panelists focused on interview prep and how to market yourself professionally, while the second group explored different departments and positions offered at New Balance. The panelists were comprised of a diverse team of New Balance associates who were able to talk to the students about their relevant departments, roles, and their own professional development stories.

New Balance@SQB took place a few weeks later, when a team of New Balance associates visited SquashBusters during programming hours. The visit was led entirely by Boston seniors, as a way for the New Balance staff to get a better understanding of the program from the student perspective. The visit included a student-led tour of the facility, a squash exhibition match between former world #1 squash player, Thierry Lincou, and SQB Squash Coach, Guy Davidson, and activities both on and off court that New Balance associates and SquashBusters seniors competed in together.

We look forward to continuing to deepen our partnership in the coming program year and beyond.

Want more SQB news?

Read the 2019 Lawrence year-end newsletter.

Read the 2019 Providence year-end newsletter.