As night fell in New Bedford on graduation day, a long line of people stretched nearly a block, anxiously awaiting entrance to the New Bedford High School athletic field on Hunter Street near Parker. Men, women, and children dressed for a ceremony carried bouquets and balloons. It was a festive night for Whalers.
Inside the school, more than 700 students shared their final moments with classmates they’ll rarely see again. The mayor and the principal were present.
And in a school renowned for its multiculturalism, many of the proud graduates were Hispanic and will be the first in their families to attend college.
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“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished,” said Mario Morente de León, a first-generation student from Guatemala. He has lived in the United States for four years and said he aspires to study law “to help my community.”
Next to him was his older sister, Maria. “I’m proud of him. I know it wasn’t easy. He struggled a lot. I have another brother, and I want him to graduate for a better future. I would have liked to study, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.”
Luisa Raymundo, also from Guatemala, graduated with honors. In September, she will attend Bridgewater State University. She is the first in her family to go to college. She came to the United States a little over four years ago with her mother, a social activist who had to escape from her country due to the threats she had received. They embarked on a dangerous journey in a trailer controlled by armed smugglers who constantly threatened them.
Barely visible among the many flowers she received, Raymundo’s eyes shone with joy. She reflected before joining her friends to celebrate: “Latino students always face triple the difficulty. Opening doors for ourselves is always more challenging. It takes more effort, but nothing is impossible. You must sacrifice and cry more for the task. But it will all be worth it.”
Gerardo Beltrán Salinas is a Chilean journalist in New Bedford.
