PRESS RELEASE by Allison Cammarata, Director of Community Services & Workforce Development, Shawsheen Valley Technical High School
April 29, 2022
Contact:
Allison Cammarata
Director of Community Services & Workforce Development
508-317-8087
acammarata@shawtech.org
BILLERICA – Shawsheen Valley Technical High School has announced its semester two seniors of the month. The Senior of the Month (SOM) program resumed this fall after being postponed due to the pandemic. The SOM program allows faculty to honor students during their senior year, with one senior being selected as Senior of the Year during a banquet in May. The Senior of the Year will be gifted a scholarship sponsored by The Billerica Lodge of Elks.
The Senior of the Month program selects two seniors every month based on a variety of criteria. Criteria include evaluation of character, leadership, citizenship, service to school & community, scholastic achievement, and vocational competencies. Students are recognized for their accomplishments to their class as well as to Shawsheen Tech, and are chosen with optimism that they will be outstanding alumni and members to the community after graduation.
FEBRUARY
CADENCE FITZGERALD is a senior medical assisting student from Tewksbury. She is in National Honor Society and has competed on behalf of Shawsheen in SkillsUSA competitions in the health knowledge bowl earning a 1st in Districts and 3rd in States her junior year, and 2nd in Districts her senior year. She has held class office for two years and is part of Shawsheen’s cooperative education program. Additionally, Cadence volunteers at the Billerica Public Library and for Dance Expressions dance academy; Cadence has been on the competition team at Dance Expressions throughout her high school career. After graduation, Cadence plans to attend the University of New England to pursue a career in nursing.
KAYLA MIRISOLA is a Tewksbury resident and studies health assisting at Shawsheen. Kayla has served on student council for four years and is a dual sport athlete playing both softball and volleyball; she was named captain for both teams her senior year. Kayla volunteers for a variety of organizations like Relay for Life, Walk for Hope, and the Special Olympics, and she also volunteer coaches for a 12U recreation softball team. She is an employee at Bear Hill Rehab as part of Shawsheen’s cooperative education program and plans to attend UMass Amherst to pursue journalism after graduation.
MARCH
OLIVER GEYER studies electronics and engineering at Shawsheen and is a resident of Tewksbury. A cooperative education student, Oliver is placed with BTU International where he tests and repairs circuit boards that go in industrial furnaces. Oliver has competed for Shawsheen’s robotics team for four years, has participated in GSA, and is part of SkillsUSA; junior year he received a gold medal at the state competition for “Mobile Robotics.” After graduation, Oliver plans to attend UMass Lowell to study mechanical engineering.
KATRINA REALEJO is a resident of Tewksbury and is in Shawsheen’s health assisting program. Katrina is in National Honor Society and is a decorated SkillsUSA competitor; she placed 2nd for nurse assisting at Districts and States her junior year, and 1st in the “Health Knowledge Bowl” at Districts her senior year. She volunteers at the Billerica Public Library and has participated in the cooperative education program. Katrina will attend UMass Lowell in the fall to pursue a career in nursing.
APRIL
CAILEY McDEVITT is a health assisting student from Billerica. She is in National Honor Society and has played for the girls soccer and co-ed swim teams at Shawsheen. Cailey has competed on behalf of Shawsheen in SkillsUSA and won a gold medal in nurse assisting. Most notably, Cailey founded Community Caregivers, a local volunteer organization that helps the elderly in Billerica. Cailey qualified for Shawsheen’s cooperative education program and is placed at Encompass Health Rehab Center. She plans to attend Endicott College in the fall to pursue a career in nursing.
MELISSA KEEGAN is a Billerica resident in the health assisting program at Shawsheen. Melissa is in National Honor Society and is a decorated SkillsUSA participant, most recently earning a silver medal in medical math. She volunteers with veterans and has been a vital ambassador at various outreach events for Shawsheen. Melissa is part of Shawsheen’s cooperative education program with placement at CVS Pharmacy. She plans to attend the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in the fall to pursue a career as a pharmacist.
About Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational School District
Established in 1965, Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District (SVRVTSD) is a student-centered public institution serving the five member towns of Billerica, Bedford, Burlington, Tewksbury, and Wilmington. Shawsheen Valley Technical High School serves more than 1,300 students in grades 9-12 and is “Dedicated to Excellence in Education”, integrating academics with more than 20-vocational-technical career pathways.
Shawsheen is located in Billerica, MA on a sprawling 100-acre campus. The school building features state-of-the-art facilities and athletic fields, twenty-four varsity sports, and dozens of extra-curricular clubs and activities. All of Shawsheen’s faculty and staff are committed to the mission “to provide a positive learning experience in a safe educational environment that encourages all students to reach their full potential, emphasizes the value of a strong work ethic, and prepares them for adult life in a competitive world.”
Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District also provides high-quality educational programming for youths and adults through Adult Education, Afterschool Exploratory Programs, Community Events, and Summer Camps and Enrichment Programs. Shawsheen is consistently working to increase its rich and varied programming opportunities for the community, which supports its mission that education is a lifelong, continuous process with many paths to living a successful and fulfilling life.
