WPY UPDATES

 Fall Program Updates, Alumni Interview, & More

Work with WPY!

Career Exploration & Training (CET)

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

Pictured above: Teen Mental Health Alliance (TMHA) Peer Leaders, Ari and Kenza, pose next to a "TMHA" sign.

The Career Exploration & Training (CET) team spent the month of October interviewing School-Year Internship Program applicants. The Teen Mental Health Alliance (TMHA) interviewed close to 40 applicants and selected 24 Peer Associates for this year's TMHA cohorts. Our four TMHA Peer Leaders led the hiring process, with support from WPY's Mental Health and Health Professionals of Tomorrow Coordinator, Monica Manna.

The CET team also began interviewing for the McDevitt Bilingual Mentoring Program. This year, the mentoring program will focus on supporting eighth graders to help them develop the academic and emotional skills to successfully transition to high school. The CET team has been working to hire interns who speak Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole in order to accommodate the growing number of languages spoken at home by the middle school mentees. We're looking forward to kicking off another great year of WPY's School-Year Internship Program!

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 Senior Coordinator and Coordinator, Marlen Godinez and Bebelin Galvez, respectively, at Waltham Family School's Back to School Night.

October was a busy month for Wraparound as our staff attended four back-to-school nights for Waltham Public Schools! The Wraparound team joined these events to share Welcome Center resources with families and provide information about WPY's programming.

October also marked the first month of the Welcome Class at McDevitt Middle School. Shoutout to Bebelin Galvez, WPY's Family & Student Engagement Coordinator, and McDevitt's bilingual Guidance Counselor for co-teaching this class of sixth graders! We look forward to starting Welcome Classes at Kennedy Middle School this week.

This week, Wraparound Program Manager, Alexa Cuellar, will be partnering with Michelle Schellinger Gutierrez of Children's Charter to co-lead a training for Stanley Elementary School staff. Alexa and Michelle will share best practices for supporting immigrant students through a trauma-informed lens. We are grateful to be in partnership with Waltham's schools to ensure that all students feel safe and supported at school!

Alumni Q&A: Kyle Boulos

Introducing our latest 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!

My name is Kyle Boulos (he/him). I’m 19 years old and graduated from Waltham High School in 2024.

What are your favorite things to do outside of school/work?

Outside of school and work, I love to go to the gym, play basketball, go to the beach, enjoy nature, and spend quality time with family and friends.

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

I just started my sophomore year at Babson College. I’m involved with SPARK, a program at Babson that teaches you about the accounting industry. I am also a Peer Tutor and work as a Teaching Assistant, supporting the accounting faculty with making new and revised assignments for accounting courses.

I also attend lots of accounting company events to learn more about the industry and to develop a better understanding of the culture at each company. I work as a server at Tessie’s in Waltham, and am president of Babson’s Ping Pong Club!

How did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in accounting?

Choosing my career path actually started with WPY's Summer Internship Program, when I interned at BrightBridge Credit Union. I got to explore finance at a young age and see the basis of commercial banking; I met so many managers who showed me what they did on a day-to-day basis. This role helped me get a sneak peek into the finance industry. 

Are there any skills you developed via WPY programming that have served you well in your academic/professional pursuits?

Here is a skill that I think is underrated, but will help you land a job or internship even if you don't have the best grades or resume: networking. Attending WPY’s Ready, Set, Job! conference was the first step; you can meet with managers at different local companies and get their contact information. Your job is to follow up, schedule meetings, and express your interests! The goal is to build relationships; they might be able to help you some day. 

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be?

Don’t be so stressed out. Be more confident in yourself. Don’t be afraid–the fear of rejection is the number one thing that can hold you back.

Opportunities for Youth and

Community Members:

National Grid Customer Advocates at Welcome Center

National Grid Customer Advocates will be available to meet with community members at McDevitt Middle School on Tuesday, November 18th, from 3:30-5:30pm. Please email Family & Student Engagement Senior Coordinator, Marlen Godinez, with questions. 

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WPY's EIN is 04-3399437