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

Episode 5: Catari Giglio, Fenway High, 2020

Feb 16th, 2023 12m 21s

When Catari Giglio was a junior at Boston's West Roxbury Academy, the School Department announced that they were going to close the high school. She and her classmates were told they’d have to transfer for their senior year, piling more chaos o

Episode 4: Anthony Gonzalez, Fenway High, 2020

Jan 9th, 2023 12m 40s

Fenway High senior Anthony Gonzalez (2020) wrote his college essay about "code-switching" -- alternating between two social and cultural norms -- and how he used it to navigate high school.

Episode 3: Salamata Barry, Fenway High, 2019

Dec 7th, 2022 12m 55s

Salamata Barry was born in Guinea. When she was eight years old, she was forced to undergo Female Genital Mutilation, a dangerous cultural custom that left her feeling powerless. Nearly a decade later, Salamata found herself at Fenway High, wri

Episode 2: Azadi Charles Sampson, Fenway High, 2018

Oct 5th, 2020 10m 31s

Growing up, Azadi’s uncle took him and his cousins to Breakfast IV Brothers: an organization dedicated to fostering connection and mentorship between Black men and boys through monthly breakfasts. In his college essay, Azadi writes how these me

Episode 1: Lissa Frometa Paulino, Fenway High, 2019

Jul 19th, 2020 11m 9s

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 ow

Rate