High School senior Fray Michael Cordero is not just an artist, he's also an activist, a scholar and a citizen. Michael just graduated from Boston Arts Academy, where he graduated with honors in Theatre. He will be taking that passion for acting and dance to Boston Conservatory next year. Michael has grown up in the South End his entire life, and has been involved in St. Stephen's Youth Programs since he was seven years old. Michael's commitment to breaking down barriers in his community has influenced into his views on citizenship and his art, where he uses his roles on the stage to change the perspectives of audience members, motivating them to take actions that can help change the world for the better.

On Tuesday June 17, Michael was awarded the Andrew Parthum Scholarship for Outstanding Community Achievement from the Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association. This scholarship was given in recognition of Michael's continued commitment to helping make the South End Community stronger; at St. Stephen's Youth Programs, Michael has been leading meetings and organizing other teens to take action on neighborhood concerns, including increasing community safety and state funding for youth jobs.

Michael is one of nineteen seniors at the Youth Programs at the South End's St. Stephen's Episcopal Church who is graduating from high school this spring. These seniors come from all over Boston and have a range of passions, dreams and goals. They have been actively involved in St. Stephen's Youth Programs as Counselors in Training and Community Organizers, and they have been part of the College and Career Program. Through the College & Career program, seniors have participated in a one-on-one mentoring program, SAT Prep, academic tutoring, career panels, college visits, and received individual college counseling thanks to St. Stephen's College and Career Program Coordinator. This program is designed to work with students throughout their high school years to help teens formulate a clear plan for what they want to do after high school. With twenty-seven current mentoring pairs, juniors and seniors build relationships with remarkable adults and design an amazing post-high school plan.

In a report released last week by the Boston Public Schools, statistics show the graduation rate for BPS is 66.7% and 73% of seniors are graduating with a post-high school plan. At St. Stephen's Youth Programs, 100% of the seniors are graduating from high school and 95% have a plan next year. These plans include a 2- or 4- year school, bridge/transition program, or vocational program. Some of the colleges St. Stephen's seniors will be attending include: Sterling College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Pine Manor, Benjamin Franklin, Foundation Year at Northeastern and Year Up. These outstanding opportunities are thanks to all the hard work that the teens have put in over the last four years, as well as the support of families, mentors, academic night volunteers, SSYP staff and everyone else who helped to encourage these young people. Congratulations to everyone!