The Du Bois Award is one of the highest honors at Boston Prep, awarded each week to one deserving student in front of the entire school community. Named after W. E. B. Du Bois, the award recognizes a student who embodies the core virtues of Boston Prep -- courage, compassion, integrity, perseverance, and respect. The award is an opportunity to highlight students who have shown high levels of academic achievement or growth along with a high level of character development. In essence, Du Bois Award winners are students who embody the mission of Boston Prep.
Every Boston Prep teacher has the privilege of presenting the Du Bois Award one time each year. As such, the selection of a student to honor is not taken lightly. Meet our recent Du Bois winners through excerpts of the speeches teachers gave while honoring them in front of the school community.
Paula Aguero Perez, Grade 6 - Honored by Ms. Williams, Ms. Gaburo, and Ms. Cheney
”When you first meet this student, you can tell she is sweet and caring. However, she is also so much more than this. She is a quiet leader who embodies the virtues every single day of school. Her integrity is unparalleled. At any given moment, you can count on her to not only be doing the right thing but also to be encouraging those around her to do the same.”
Nayely Monge, Grade 9 - Honored by Mr. Levin and Mr. Passineau
”Ninth grade can be a challenging year, when students have to take on high school work for the first time, acclimate to new rules and norms, and navigate a new social scene along with their peers. Against this backdrop, our Du Bois winner stands out among her peers as someone truly dedicated and passionate about her learning, our school, and her fellow students. “
Nicolas Adeleye, Grade 12 - Honored by Ms. Wright, Mr. Berkley, and Ms. Stephenson
”Today’s Du Bois honoree has tons of charisma. But more important than that, today’s honoree is becoming a leader. You see, leadership is much more than just charisma. The big difference between leadership and charisma is that leadership is what challenges a community to be better. Charisma draws attention. Charisma says to a crowd, ‘Look at me.’ Leadership says to a crowd, ‘Be the best version of yourselves.’”
Dadley Pierre, Grade 8 - Honored by Ms. Boehmer, Ms. Adams, and Ms. Ferreras
”For many of us, failure is difficult to acknowledge and change, but for this student, it is not. In class, this student is without a doubt the first to raise his hand eagerly to answer, whether wrong or right. When wrong, he goes back to his classwork and fixes his answer, then raises his hand again to ensure he genuinely understands. It takes a lot of courage to share an answer, especially being the first in the class, but this student never fails to impress his teachers with the risks he takes.”
Jaiden Irving, Grade 11 - Honored by Mr. Kenyon, Ms. Lund, and Ms. Braymiller
”In chemistry class, last week when another student was struggling to answer a question, this student eagerly raised his hand, stating, ‘Tap me in to help, Ms. Bray.’ This moment, where he not only knew the answer to a difficult chemistry question but also wanted to show compassion to a peer in need, is a true representation of this Du Bois winner.”
Neissa Jean, Grade 7 - Honored by Ms. Abraham and Ms. O’Dell
”Today’s Du Bois Award winner may not be the loudest in the classroom and may describe herself as quiet and shy. However, everyday she leads by example and helps shepherd her classmates towards being their best and most compassionate selves. In science class, I’ve noticed that wherever this week’s Du Bois Award winner is seated, students around her improve in their own behavior, participation, and understanding of the material. She doesn’t do this in order to receive shout outs, merits, or any other type of recognition. Instead, she does it simply because she believes in helping those around her. “
Samarra Charite, Grade 10 - Honored by Ms. Brito, Ms. Gillis, and Ms. Turi
”This student recognizes on some level that to come at a challenge with a smile means she is already succeeding. The willingness to be positive even when she is uncomfortable makes the hardest things manageable. Coming to a challenge with a smile is an extraordinary gift, particularly when so many of us fear striking out and failing.”
Joel Eliacin, Grade 9 - Honored by Ms. Gaetz and Ms. Moskowitz
”He is a student who raises the bar for the students around him. He sometimes catches flak from his peers for having a high level of self-confidence. Before taking a test he'll promise himself and his classmates that he'll get 100 on it. Recently when I asked why he insists on doing this he said, ‘I am speaking excellence into existence.’
Kayzon Zene, Grade 11 - Honored by Dr. Wolff, Dr. Garza, and Ms. Abair
”He started off the year a quiet, thoughtful member of our class, but by the end of the year, he had completely come out of his shell, asking questions and participating in class. Now this year, you would hardly recognize him! His confidence is radiant! He is also an excellent poet with a powerful voice. If you haven’t read some of his work yet, you will someday, for I have no doubt he will be a published poet in the future.”
Angie Marcenat, Grade 6 - Honored by Mr. Cajuste, Mr. Cutillo, Ms. Perez, and Ms. Torrey
”This student is unafraid to constantly create and make the world around her a better place. In art class, she is a close observer, always trying to push the envelope of what she is capable of doing. However, she does not her let creativity stop there. Within academic support, she can be found producing her own fashion line, including accessories that she is proud to share with teachers and friends. She shows her love through making - and she has proven she has a lot of love to give.”
Marovsky Dolcine, Grade 12 - Honored by Ms. Bernhard and Mr. Canto
”This student is always willing to take things one step further. He is always doing one more lap or mile than his teammates, always preparing for an assessment for one more minute than his peers, and always pausing for one more moment with a person who needs help or has a question. He has earned this award for the ten thousand moments in which he has chosen to better himself and set an example for those around him.”
Nyimah Thompson, Grade 8 - Honored by Ms. Callahan, Ms. Estrada, and Ms. Lapointe
”This student didn’t understand a concept in Honors Math this year. I think it was the first time that she ever had that experience in a math class. She seemed pretty shaken up, like her confidence had been truly rattled. She was having the same thought that all of us have had when we took on a challenge, and stumbled. “Maybe I just can’t do this.” Remarkably, it only took a brief conversation with her to realize: struggling is normal, it is expected, and to be great, it is necessary. She came back the next day with renewed energy and dedication, and has been a constant source of perseverance, impeccable handwriting, and brilliant ideas ever since.”
Shayla Peebles, Grade 11 - Honored by Mr. Vermette, Mr. Ouellette, and Ms. DeBarros
”Any community takes a specific identity from its shared experiences together and its many small, almost imperceptible decisions that its community members make. As previously stated, today’s winner isn’t loud, isn’t showy, isn’t trying to be the center of attention, but she makes this community a better place with her choices. Like the water for a fish, she is there consistently, positively influencing our community.”