Revere High School senior Francoise Kodjo recently hosted a student-led panel discussion on personal growth and career development at the high school, featuring three successful women. Revere School Committee Co-Chair Jacqueline Monterroso, Dr. Suzanne Boxer, MD from Massachusetts General Hospital, and Revere School Committee member Aisha Milbury-Ellis joined Francoise for the panel discussion with RHS students to share their journeys from high school to their respective careers.
The panel discussion, moderated by Francoise, allowed RHS students to gain insight into how the three women came from modest backgrounds to become leaders in their respective fields. The discussion highlighted the importance of perseverance, education, and mentorship in achieving success. Each panelist shared personal anecdotes and practical advice, inspiring the students to pursue their dreams and believe in their potential.
Francoise kicked off the discussion, asking each panelist how their life choices in high school impacted the journey to their current careers. The panelists reflected on their high school experiences, emphasizing the pivotal role that extracurricular activities and supportive teachers played in shaping their paths. They encouraged the students to engage fully in their passions and seek out opportunities that would foster their growth and development.
Monterroso, who grew up in a farming community in Florida, started off the discussion.
“I grew up in a farmworker community, so a lot of my family members pick all the fruit and veggies that many of us eat,” said Monterroso, “In high school I took a lot of dual enrollment classes and AP classes, like we offer at Revere High, and so I graduated with my associates degree a week before I graduated from high school because I thought well I have no money for college but at least I can take all these free dual enrollment classes and have something under my belt for what comes next.”
Monterroso said she also joined a lot of clubs and did many extracurricular activities, and was able to get a full scholarship to college.
“That doesn't happen to everyone, so it was a huge privilege I was able to graduate from college without any debt,” said Monterroso, who serves as Massachusetts Director of Policy and Advocacy at Latinos for Education. “So, it was a lot of the academic decisions I made and the experiences I had with adults that led to what I do now, which I love.”
Monterroso was followed by Dr. Boxer, who grew up in a small town in Connecticut, but said there were still a lot of opportunities at the high school she attended.
“I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do,” she said. “I tell a lot of the high school students I treat that this is their time to get out there and explore different things. That can sometimes be the hardest step because it's scary to approach people about what they do, ask them questions, and kind of get an idea of the real world and what it takes to pursue a certain career you may be interested in.”
Dr. Boxer said she had an interest in working with children while attending high school.
“I just connect better with kids than I do with adults,” she explained. “That's like just a piece of personal reflection that I've always known about myself. I knew I wanted to work with kids, maybe teaching, maybe medicine, so I just started to get my feet wet, and I signed up at our local hospital as a volunteer
Dr. Boxer said that while in high school, she found a doctor who was willing to let her shadow her, which led to Dr. Boxer being hired as a medical assistant. It was a decision she made in high school that has led to a rewarding career as a doctor. Dr. Boxer emphasized the importance of gaining hands-on experience early on and encouraged students to seek out similar opportunities.
“It was through that work that I realized that (being a doctor) was what I wanted to do,” she said.
Milbury-Ellis followed Dr. Boxer and reflected on her high school experiences and how they influenced her career as an attorney. For Milbury-Ellis, surrounding herself with positive people during high school was a key factor in her future success.
“I did well in high school, and I was in all honors classes,” said Milbury-Ellis. “But I would say one decision that I know made a huge difference in my high school years, and it's something that I stick with to this day, and that is I'm very particular with who I surround myself with. My friends have to have the approval of my family, they have to be good people, and they have to be people who are going to uplift and make me better, root for me, and be happy in my successes. Anyone who doesn't rise to that level is just not someone that I would put myself around. I can say the one conscious decision that I made in high school, and it was probably because my mom always instilled it in me, is "You are the company you keep.”
Milbury-Ellis encouraged the high school students to ensure they surround themselves with people who help them become better individuals.
“You should keep people around you that inspire you and motivate you and root for you and that are truly in your corner, because anyone else that's not serving that purpose is, to put it in a legal term, a liability.”