Success at Collegiate - Meet Joao
João Da Silva Pacheco credits Collegiate Charter School of Lowell with helping him turn his greatest challenge into an award-winning accomplishment. He first arrived as a freshman not speaking any English. “…I didn’t know any English and it was really hard to communicate.” Fortunately, he found a supportive environment at Collegiate. “There are a lot of Brazilians here, so I made friends that spoke Portuguese and English, so that was good for me. In class, they would teach me English and I felt really good...Collegiate embraced me, if I had any questions they were there for me.” Currently a senior, João shares his favorite subject is now English. In 11th Grade, he received an award for his English, the end-of-year subject award given to the student with the highest grade. In four years, he has turned a challenge into an advantage.
João is an active member of the Social Responsibility Department, a part of the SABIS® Student Life Organization. He is looking forward to warmer weather so students can work together to clean-up a local park in Lowell. João also works two days a week after school at Collegiate, helping with younger students who attend the school’s extended-day program.
João has been accepted to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. “I want to study radiology”, he says. Although he is not ready to go to Boston yet, he wants to take those same health and humanities courses first at Middlesex Community College in Lowell and then transfer to Boston. João shares that his mom is very proud of him adding, “My mom always wanted me to go to Collegiate because she knows its one of the best schools in Lowell." He will always remember the impact Collegiate has had on his life. “It changed me. …It changed the way I study and think”. He added, “I really like to learn... Going to Collegiate every day I learn something new and for me that is great…They are really good teachers, they always talk to me when they see me and are always happy for me.”
Congratulations to João on his upcoming graduation! Good luck as you continue in your pursuit of a career to help others as a radiologist.
