Eight graduating seniors from Holyoke Public Schools were celebrated on Friday, May 23 during this year’s Future Teachers Signing Day. This annual ceremony celebrates HPS students who are committing to careers in education when they complete their undergraduate college studies.
The event, held at the Summit View Pavilion, brought together students, families, educators, and community members as they honored the next generation of educators—and encouraged them to return to Holyoke as teachers after earning their certifications.
Guest speakers included Rep. Patricia Duffy and Brian Devine, director of educator licensure for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
This year’s honorees as future educators included:
Angelyah Bauza from HHS North, who will be attending Holyoke Community College (HCC) in the fall
Maria Burgos-Bernier from HHS North, who will be attending Westfield State in the fall
April Garcia-Brito from HHS North, who will be attending Bridgewater State in the fall
Elioth Lopez Irizarry from HHS North, who will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall
Aiden McCarthy from HHS Dean Campus, who will be attending UMass Amherst in the fall
Adalis Ortiz-Rodriguez from HHS North, who will be attending HCC in the fall
Nichelle Rivera from HHS North, who will be attending HCC in the fall
Jeymishel Rodriguez Colon from HHS North, who will be attending HCC in the fall
HPS has hosted seven Future Teachers Signing Days since 2019, honoring a combined 45 students over the years. While many of those honorees are still in college, in 2023 HPS hired Zoe Brazeau from the 2019 cohort. She now teaches grade 6 social studies at Sullivan School.
“Zoe is an outstanding educator who has improved tremendously over the past two years,” said Sullivan Principal Rue Ratray. “We are fortunate to have her as a member of our team.”
The Future Teachers program is a win-win for both graduating high school seniors of today and the future students of tomorrow, explained HPS Director of Recruitment Christie Elman. “Students who sign the Future Teachers pledge are setting a vision for the kind of careers they see for themselves after college, which in turn helps them stay focused and motivated. And for our schools to be able to hire former students as HPS educators in the future is another way we can continue to support the next generation of students through teachers who know first-hand about living and learning in Holyoke.”