by Jen Myers

When Iyana Pagan’s friends were picking out prom dresses, she was rocking a baby to sleep.

While they were studying in quiet bedrooms, the sleep-deprived mom of two was writing essays at the kitchen table with lullabies playing softly in the background.

She could have given up. She could have listened to the whispers of people who thought her dreams were over before they began. But, she refused to quit. She persevered and along with 20 of her peers received her Lowell High School diploma in a beautiful ceremony on the LHS quad Thursday evening.

Pagan, one of two student speakers, was overwhelmed with emotion as she began reading her speech. Megan O’Loughlin, Principal of The Career Academy, sprang into action, stood by her side, and delivered her speech for Iyana while simultaneously comforting her. That level of care and empathy is a big part of the equation that brings Lowell students facing challenges across the graduation finish line.

“I made a choice – to show my children that their mother doesn’t quit no matter how heavy the load, no matter how long the road,” wrote Iyana. “I look at my children and I see the reason why I refuse to quit. I want them to grow up knowing that even when life gets heavy you can carry your dreams right alongside your responsibilities. I want them to see that hard work is not something to be afraid of, but something to be proud of.”

“This cap and gown have my name on it, but it is stitched together with the love, support and sacrifices of everyone who stood beside me and especially the two little ones who gave me the reason to keep going. This diploma is more than a piece of paper, it is a promise to them that no matter where you start you can write your own ending,” she added. “And to anyone who feels like they are behind, let me say this – your timeline is yours no one else’s; graduating today doesn’t just mean I earned a diploma; it means I didn’t give up on myself or my future and if there is one thing I’ve learned it is that we can do hard things even when the world says we can’t.”

The 21 summer graduates of Lowell High School and The Career Academy completed their homestretch of diploma coursework through the Engagement Center, a tutoring credit recovery program that has made graduation possible for nearly 1,000 students since its inception in 2015.

At the Engagement Center, located at The Career Academy, and through additional credit recovery programing at each high school, students with senior standing complete project-based and online learning modules at their own pace with the assistance of tutoring staff throughout the school year and summer months.

“You may not have taken the straight highway to get to graduation – you took an alternative path – the route demanded more from you and at times you probably felt like it was never going to end – but guess what – you made it and you’re here and that makes this moment even more powerful for you and your families,” said LHS Head of School Mike Fiato. “You’ve proven the journey might be different, but the destination is the same. You’ve got strength, heart, and a story that no one can take away from you. Carry that determination to whatever comes next.”

Student speaker Victoria Dos Santos Martins Da Silva, whose next destination is Middlesex Community College where she will study nursing, expressed gratitude to all of the teachers, parents, and friends who provided the support and love that got the Class of 2025 to graduation day in spite of the multitude of challenges they faced.

“There were times when we felt tired, lost, and afraid, but we kept going,” she said. “The future is open and full of opportunities; follow your dreams, work hard, and never give up.”

Mayor Dan Rourke (LHS ’93) applauded the graduates for putting in the work to get to graduation day.

“It takes a special type of person to put in the extra work, the hard work to be here this evening,” he said. “Everybody deals with a lot of tough things coming from Lowell, coming from a rough and tumble city, getting up and being motivated going to school every day takes a different type of character being from Lowell. I‘m very proud of each and every one of you.”

Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner congratulated the graduates on their extraordinary accomplishments and said he found the students’ stories inspiring. Their journeys reminded him of a quote by poet Maya Angelou – “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.”

“I think it applies to you because there is no doubt you faced setbacks and challenges, but you applied resilience and grit and you made it through and persisted,” said Skinner. “It had to be easier to stop than to do all that you have done, but by continuing on to tonight you made sure that your challenges don’t define you – your success does.”

Special shout out and appreciation to longtime Lowell Public Schools Social Worker Dorothy Louise, who has worked with the Engagement Center program for the past ten years. Her tenacious outreach – phone calls, text messages, and home visits – have helped countless students get back on the pathway to graduation. She celebrated her tenth and final graduating class this week, but her impact on the program and its graduates’ lives will live on.