WPY UPDATES

 Summer Program Updates, Alumni Interview, & More

Career Exploration & Training (CET)

Connecting students to life-altering career development opportunities through meaningful paid internship experiences.

Pictured above: WPY students pose in front of a mural at the Waltham Family School, where they are interning this summer via WPY's Summer Internship Program

It's hard to believe that WPY's Summer Internship Program wraps up next week! Interns have spent the last five weeks gaining valuable professional experience thanks to our dozens of employer partners. In addition to their on-the-job learning, students are also joining weekly Career Talks, which are professional workshops led by WPY supporters and community partners. So far, they've attended workshops on real-world skills like Cambridge Savings Bank's session on how to manage a checking account, and Bentley Social Innovation Incubator's social enterprise workshop. A group of interns also had the opportunity to visit New England Donor Services, where they learned about the organ and tissue donation process. Thank you to all of our facilitators so far who have shared their expertise and time with our interns!

The CET team is also conducting site visits to check in, provide support, and get a first-hand look at all our interns are doing so far. If you would like to keep up with our interns, check out WPY's Instagram stories every Friday for Intern-led Instagram Takeovers! You can view all of the July takeovers on the Summer 2025 Highlights on Instagram.

Wraparound Waltham

Collaborating to create a community of belonging and opportunity for newcomer immigrant students and their families.

Pictured above: WPY's Family & Student Engagement Coordinator, Bebelin Galvez, stands with rising ninth grade students who are participating in WPY's Summer Soccer Group

The Summer Soccer Group has started at McDevitt Middle School for the third year in a row! This group is facilitated by Bebelin Galvez, WPY's Family & Student Engagement Coordinator. In addition to playing soccer, students also enjoy table games such as dominos and cards. All of these activities are targeted toward rising ninth grade students, with the intention of helping students to build relationships with each other and with Waltham Public Schools staff before they enter ninth grade. More adults and educators from Waltham High School will join the group throughout the summer.

At the Welcome Center, our staff have been working to distribute food vouchers from the Waltham Field Community Farm's Mobile Outreach Market. These vouchers provide an opportunity for families to receive fresh and locally-grown produce directly from the Waltham Fields Community Farm!



Alumni Q&A: Beverly Duclas

Introducing our newest newsletter segment! Every other month, we will share alumni Q&A interviews to celebrate the accomplishments of our former students and to educate readers about the long-term impacts of WPY programming.

Introduce yourself! 

Hi, I’m Beverly Duclas (she/her), a rising senior at Clark Atlanta University. I’m a biology major on a pre-medical track. I’m originally from Waltham, and graduated from Waltham High School in 2022.

What have you been up to since you graduated from Waltham High School?

I’ve been studying at Clark Atlanta University, which is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). HBCUs were founded on the principle of allowing Black students to access higher education when segregation didn’t allow Black students to attend other institutions. Going to an HBCU was a really big decision–they aren’t really prevalent in the Northeast. Since being at Clark Atlanta University, I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities that might not have been available to me if I attended a Predominantly White Institution (PWI), including my current internship.

Tell us about your current internship.

I am currently interning in a microbiology lab as a Du Bois Fellow at Harvard University. My position is fully-funded and involves the study of listeria, a food-borne pathogen with a high mortality rate in the US. My research is specifically measuring how listeria responds to different animal serums, like cows, sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs, etc. This helps us decide which animals we should focus our studies on; we can see how listeria lives in their bloodstreams, which can help us to make decisions about food safety. It’s a lot of work, but I’m blessed to have this opportunity.

How did your previous internships with WPY guide you to this kind of work?

I’ve had an internship every year since my sophomore year of high school. When I was a high school student, I interned at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and with Boston Children’s Hospital’s (BCH) COACH program for two summers. Since the age of eight, I’ve wanted to be a pediatrician. My internships affirmed this, and through my BCH COACH internship, I interned in the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Department. Shadowing pediatricians in those settings showed me that I, too, wanted to serve communities and individuals in their most vulnerable states. It would be a privilege.

Are there any specific memories from your time with WPY that have stayed with you over the years?

Everything! I’m really proud of myself for starting my career at such an early age. If not for WPY, I don’t think I would have ever had the courage or motivation to pursue that.

I really commend WPY for the professional development opportunities they provided–working on resumes, cover letters, mock interviews, LinkedIn, etc. After my first year in college, I interned at The Family Van, offering free health screenings in East Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester. The Family Van invited me to lead a workshop to help their current students set up LinkedIn accounts, because they recognized my skills with that kind of tool. 

If you could give advice to your high school self, what would it be?

Keep going, you’re almost there. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to not know, and it’s okay to ask questions. Lead with curiosity.

Opportunities for Youth and

Community Members:

Waltham Public Library is Hiring Student Pages - Apply by August 7th!

The Waltham Public Library is hiring four Student Pages!

Duties include shelving returned library materials, distributing materials around the library via wheeled carts and elevator, and other clerical duties as requested.

Middle or high school students age 14+ are invited to apply. This position is 6-12 hours/week, year-round, and $15/hour.

Please submit the City of Waltham Application by AUGUST 7, 2025. The position will likely start within 4-8 weeks from then. 

Send application to:

Mary Gullotti

City of Waltham Human Resources Department  

119 School Street

Waltham MA 02451

(781)314-3356  



or by Email:  jobs@city.waltham.ma.us

When you send an email, please include your name and the name of the position in the subject line. For example, "Jane Smith - Application for WPL Page." The email should also be addressed to Mary Gullotti. Include who you are and why you are emailing. Please also include 2-3 reasons why you think you are a good fit for the position (e.g., skills or experience).

Free Webinar from Families for Depression Awareness: Connecting with Care

Families for Depression Awareness is presenting their free webinar — Connecting with Care: Essential Communication Skills for Mental Health Caregivers — on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM ET.

In this webinar, Dr. Chris Segrin will guide you through four real-world scenarios caregivers often face supporting loved ones through depression. You’ll learn practical communication techniques for discussing depression symptoms, navigating conversations about professional help, using de-escalation strategies, and addressing trauma-related challenges with sensitivity.

Save the Date for Rock Band Camp's Annual Rock Concert!

Community Health Hubs by Vital CxNS

Love what you see in our newsletters? Donate to support our impactful programming.