Student Biographies
Fabian Rivera ‘12
Fabian Rivera’s experiences in the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP) as a freshman and sophomore were a real eye opener for him. In his first year at Notre Dame High School, Fabian was placed in an administrative position at Trexel, Inc. Because Fabian’s parents both work at Vicor Corporation – his dad inventories parts, and his mom works in machine assembly – Fabian always thought he wanted an office job.
But through CWSP, Fabian found he didn’t like sitting in front of a computer all day. By the time he was a sophomore, Fabian was sure he wanted to work with the public and found his new placement at Verizon Wireless to be more in line with his social personality. Fabian loves dealing directly with customers.
Fabian’s older brother Brian Rivera, who played on the NDHS basketball team, graduated in June 2010 and is now at St. Michael’s College. Fabian also likes to play basketball in his spare time. However, his favorite past-time is playing the violin, which he has done for 9 years starting in 2nd grade. Fabian’s dad always tells him to never give up the violin! Those who attended the Baccalaureate service for the Class of 2010 were moved by a violin performance from Brian and Fabian.
Fabian noted that NDHS’ strict requirement to maintain a 2.0 grade average keeps him surrounded by goal-oriented students who are pursuing their own success stories. Fabian wants to study music production and is considering UMass Lowell and Berklee College as potential college choices for their excellent music programs.
Monica Polanco '12
Monica Polanco knew it was a big step to enroll at Notre Dame High School. Her older sister Mabel was an NDHS student and Monica knew it would be a challenge. Not only do all students commit to working one day each week plus one Monday every month at a work study job, the college-prep curriculum requires a true dedication to learning. At first, Monica was unsure whether this was the place for her. However, she soon realized all the tools NDHS would provide her with were essential for a successful future. Monica tells us, “I know at NDHS, I’m going to get into college. As long as I do my part, I can get into any college I want.”
Monica’s parents are both from the Dominican Republic. Her father is a baker and an artist, and her mother works at a factory in Lawrence, and in Monica’s words, is also “an awesome cook and great at sewing.” Her sister, Mabel Polanco ’09 is currently a sophomore at Fairfield University in Connecticut. There are many memories and commonalities that bond these sisters but one of them is their mutual experience of working at a corporate job to help pay for their college-prep, private high school education.
Through the NDHS Corporate Work Study Program, students help offset the cost of their tuition by working five days a month. The CWSP partners with local businesses in the Merrimack Valley who “lease” student employees to cover entry-level positions in their companies. A team of four students can provide full coverage for an employment sponsor, who benefits in many ways. The students benefit equally from the work experience. Monica mastered database entry and phone skills during her freshman year while placed at Zwicker & Associates. Her sophomore year, she widened her skill set even further at Fred C. Church Insurance, where she filed, scanned and worked with Microsoft Excel.
Monica has seen a lot of change at NDHS. Through your donations to the Making History Capital Campaign, there have been extensive renovations to the old St. Mary’s building including the library and 12 classrooms. She says that NDHS – the building, the curriculum, the work study program - has come a long way since her sister first enrolled, and is always hard at work to keep getting better.
This description is a lot like Monica herself. She is an excellent worker and dedicated student, always hard at work to keep getting better. A great Biology class helped her decide her future career. She wants to be a dentist and open her own practice some day. That way, she can bring all her employees to a Third World country where they can fix the teeth of people that may not otherwise have access to dental services. Stay tuned for details!
