Oh, The Places They'll Go!

According to Erica Taylor, Class of 2011, the Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School "gave me the freedom I needed to really find myself and what I wanted." This Sunday June 5, Erica will join her six other classmates and move on from their close-knit school community to take many paths.

This year's graduates are: Hannah Grace Vanderlaske, Mattia Haylay Phaneuf, Brian C. Luce, Erica Taylor, Jessica Nicole Dupon, Sasha Marie Iammarino and Domonique Victoria Aaron. Each student spent their time at the Charter School pursuing a path of learning that they designed for themselves, along with the help of parents, teachers and professional mentors. As they move on from the Charter School, this graduate group will continue to pursue their own interests and take their own direction.

Vanderlaske heads to Sarah Lawrence College in New York to continue her path as a writer;  Phaneuf will study the culinary arts individually; Luce's plans include music production at the New England Institute of Art; Taylor will study business at Babson; Dupon will begin her studies at UMass Amherst in Secondary Math Education; Iammarino heads off to Marlboro College in Vermont, where she's not sure exactly what she'll do first, but it will definitely include expanding her interests in photography and psychology; and Aaron will work toward becoming an aesthetician at Cape Cod Community College.

The Charter School's emphasis on trust, respect, self-determination, choice and community is apparent in all of these students. As is the first mission of the Charter School: to create and cultivate life-long learners. We've not seen the last of this dynamic and intelligent group; they'll certainly be knowledge seekers for many years to come. 

The Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School graduation will take place at the school on June 5 at 1:30 p.m.