At 102, Worcester Senior Gets Her High School Diploma

WORCESTER, MA — A very special Worcester senior received her high school diploma on Thursday.

Antoinette “Ginger” Rinaldi, 102, was granted an honorary high school diploma at Thursday's Worcester School Committee meeting. The longtime — going on 100 years now — Shrewsbury Street resident worked for Worcester Public Schools as a food provider, but never graduated from high school after beginning her working life before she was a teenager.

According to WPS, Rinaldi began working as a nanny at age 12, and then went to work at the American Steel and Wire Company at age 14 and later at the Worcester Knitting factory. After becoming a mother, she worked in cafeterias at Forest Grove Middle School and Doherty Memorial High School. She also coordinated food distribution for the district's Head Start Program.

Rinaldi has also been a fixture across Worcester in her 102 years. She worked as a volunteer helping families affected by the 1999 Cold Storage fire that killed six firefighters, and is an active member at her church and the Worcester Senior Center.

Rinaldi received her honorary diploma Thursday evening from Superintendent Rachel Monarrez, Mayor Joseph Petty, School Committee Clerk Helen Friel and school committee members Jermaine Johnson, Laura Clancey, Tracy O’Connell Novick, Sue Mailman and Molly McCullough.