Meet Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School's Senior Spotlights
EASTON — Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School held its graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 8.
Southeastern’s Senior Spotlights are chosen based on their high academic and vocational achievement. Seniors are selected from each of the nine towns Southeastern serves and are highlighted prior to graduation.
The following student biographies were submitted by Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School
Bianca Pires, of Brockton
Bianca Pires, of Brockton, is a student in the Natural & Life Sciences vocational program. Pires did not expect to join Natural & Life Sciences when starting school at Southeastern, and at first wanted to join the Video & Performing Arts program. However, when she went through the exploratory period for the program, she didn’t enjoy it as much as she expected. She decided to join Natural & Life Sciences after the exploratory period and seeing how fun and interesting the teachers made the program.
Pires notes that joining Natural & Life Science was the best decision she could have made, and has since made so many friends, with those in the program becoming her “second family.” She also explains that “being in a learning environment where the teachers are supportive and your friends are like family, you are bound to succeed and surpass limits - which I did.”
Pires’ favorite experience from her vocational work was during her freshman year in the natural side of the program. The students went on trips to ponds or streams and sampled for insects or macroinvertebrates. They would collect them and then survey them as a class. She enjoyed the process of gathering materials, hiking to the site and beginning to sample. Getting into the water with waders was one of her favorite and most memorable experiences. She explains that the hands-on work made her feel like a scientist.
During her time at Southeastern, Pires has also been involved in National Honor Society, has peer-tutored biology and works part-time at Flynn’s Family Farm in Easton.
Pires plans to attend Michigan State University to study environmental science/biology. She plans to become a marine biologist.
Her advice for freshmen is: “Take any opportunity you can get. You are young and gaining experience is important. Especially if it's something you're not sure about or are nervous about doing, even more reason to get involved in a club or activity, or something out of our comfort zone. I learned that doing things I was afraid of doing was always worth it, and if I didn’t, I was regretful. So always make an effort to do something out of your comfort zone or something new in general.”
Briana Pires, of Brockton
Briana Pires, of Brockton, is a senior in the Medical Assisting vocational program. Pires chose her vocational program because she always wanted to be in the medical field and knew the program would help her narrow down options and choose a career after high school. She has enjoyed how vast and open the cooperative education opportunities are beyond working in a doctor’s office, including working in burn units, hospitals, internal medicine, family practice or mortuaries.
Pires’ favorite experience in her vocational work is having been in a co-op and working with many different patients. She was able to be placed in a pediatric doctor's office and has learned and experienced so many new things, working with babies who are just days old to young adults up to the age of 23.
Pires has also been involved in Book Club and Letters Against Depression.
She plans to attend the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Services, studying pre-medical biomedical sciences. She plans to become a medical examiner.
Pires’ advice to freshmen is: “Join as many clubs, sports and extracurricular activities as possible. I know some of my regrets were not taking advantage of all these extracurricular activities when I was a freshman/underclassman.”
Piper Culp, of East Bridgewater
Piper Culp, of East Bridgewater, is a student in the Natural & Life Sciences vocational program. Culp chose her vocation because she wants to be part of the solution to climate change. Science is also one of her favorite academic subjects, which encouraged her to pursue it vocationally. She also explains that she has always loved and appreciated nature, which was a big part of the vocation, and that science helps people and the world, and she wants to be someone who helps.
Culp’s favorite experience from the program is sampling in Black Brook, a brook behind the school, for macroinvertebrates. Students hiked to a Black Brook site, put on waders and used nets to catch macroinvertebrates. They then went back to the school to identify what they caught and use that information to help determine how healthy the brook was. She also has great memories of learning about beekeeping and has found the lab work to be beneficial to her current internship at the Massasoit STEM research lab where she researches wild bees and other pollinators.
Culp has been involved in the National Honor Society, Math Team and Beekeeping. She has also participated in the Massachusetts Science Fair and received an honorable mention at regionals her sophomore year. She participates in Early High School College with Massasoit Community College and has earned an Associate Liberal Arts Transfer degree.
She has been named to Southeastern’s High Honors list all four years and the dean’s list at Massasoit each semester. She holds a 4.556 GPA at Southeastern and a 3.98 at Massasoit. She was one of the State Nominees for the U.S. Presidential Scholars from Massachusetts and received an Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Award from the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators.
In her free time, she enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons with her friends and going on hikes.
Culp plans to attend Brandeis University and explore her interests in biology or environmental studies. She hopes to get an internship relating to the environmental field during those years as well.
Her advice to freshmen is: “Get involved, whether it be projects at shop or after school activities, just get involved in something. You meet so many great people and opportunities that way. Don’t be scared of trying something new, and if you are scared, do it anyway. If you don’t, you may regret it and by the time you graduate, you will have great memories to look back on.”
Benny Eng, of Easton
Benny Eng, of Easton, is a senior in the Advertising & Design program. Eng chose the program because he has an interest in graphic design and all things creative, including photography and filmmaking.
Eng enjoyed the Advertising & Design program because of the hands-on experience as well as his teachers and classmates. His favorite work in the program has been the live jobs, which are orders that students make or design for community members, giving them real-world experience with getting and fulfilling client requests. Eng’s favorite live job was designing the logo and banners for Southeastern’s Performing Arts Center, which opened earlier this year. Eng designed the logo and collaborated with a classmate on the banners. After completing the design, Eng presented his logo to Superintendent Luis Lopes and other administrators, where he showcased the logo with an animation.
Eng enjoyd the shop because of all of the equipment and programs he is able to use and learn about, including various design programs, machines, printers and other resources for graphic design, photography, photo editing, video editing, animation, 3D printing, laser cutting, embroidery and more.
Aside from the live jobs and shop work, Eng also says that his classmates make going to school enjoyable noting that his class has gotten really close over the years and it feels like a family, including teachers Mrs. Enos, Mrs. Masi, and Mrs. Kelleher.
Eng values the storytelling aspect of art, explaining that he believes no matter what medium or type of art it is, it tells a story. For his senior project, he made a documentary about Cystic Fibrosis. He wanted to use his skills to tell the story of a friend who has Cystic Fibrosis to show what her life is like living with the disease and how it affects her.
Eng says, “No matter what type of art I do, I want it to tell a story and to have a purpose. In this case, the purpose of making the documentary was to bring to light the struggles of living with Cystic Fibrosis in order to spread awareness to fight against this disease, and for my friend.”
He also plans on releasing the full documentary on YouTube once it is complete.
Eng played varsity soccer, a sport he has been involved in since he was five years old. He served as one of the captains his senior year, and the team enjoyed a winning streak during the season where they were one win away from making the playoffs, however the last games were canceled due to weather. Eng believes that his experiences playing soccer have helped him grow his leadership skills and allowed him to form friendships.
He is also thankful to Coaches Sanchez and Callahan for believing in him, saying, “I have always been a quieter person, so I was hesitant about running for captain, but my coaches handpicked me to be one of the captains and encouraged me to grow as a leader and become more vocal on and off the field.”
Eng also plays the drums and the piano, and plays drums for his church. He notes that being a Christian is his main identity, and that his life has been transformed through Jesus so he aims to be a testimony of His love throughout life.
Eng will attend Bridgewater State University on a Recognition of Scholastic Excellence (ROSE) Scholarship to study mathematics. He plans to consider other schools following his first year of college once he better determines what type of major he would like to pursue.
Eng’s advice to freshmen is: “Savor the moments in high school because before you know it, it will be over. Definitely get involved in after-school activities because it is a great way to make friends and stay connected. It also can give you something to look forward to if you don't like academics so much. With academics, work hard and value getting school work done because even though it may seem pointless or like a lot of work in the long run, it is worth it. Having good grades opens up more opportunities that can help you achieve your fullest potential and prepare you for the future.”
He added, “Have respect for your teachers and classmates -- I think having a good relationship with the people around you will make you a better person and also help you succeed. When you are respectful, others will notice and they will respect you. One of the things I have valued throughout my life is showing appreciation for others. Showing respect has allowed me to find out how amazing and nice people are. The bottom line is to be hard working and have respect for others, and yourself.”
Emily Dodds, of Foxboro
Emily Dodds, of Foxboro, is a senior in the Advertising & Design program. She chose the program because she liked art and knew she wanted to make it her career. During her time in the program, she has enjoyed working with the people in her shop, noting that they are very fun and talented.
She has also enjoyed being able to learn all the programs needed to work in the industry, and participating in live jobs – orders that students make or design for members of the public – which allows her to help people in the community. Her favorite experience was making temporary tattoos for the school’s open house. She created the designs, and then visiting eighth graders were able to use those designs and customize them.
Dodds participated in Drama Club and helped with lighting. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and Design and Visual Communications Honor Society. She also helped with a community theater called Easton Collaborative Theater.
Dodds is attending the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) to study illustration. She also hopes to do other things such as welding and glass blowing.
Her advice to freshmen is: “Do clubs and activities. They make going to Southeastern more fun, and allow you to meet new people and make new friends.”
Trista Sicard, of Mansfield
Trista Sicard, of Mansfield, is a senior in the plumbing vocational program. She chose the program as it was what she enjoyed most through the freshman exploratory program. Her mother is also the chief estimator at NEI, a general contracting company, and felt that she could see herself in the industry because of her mother.
Sicard currently works at GEM Plumbing and Heating. For most of her time there, she has been working on a senior assisted housing facility in Hanover installing showers, toilets, kitchen sinks, lavatories, storm drains and more. As an apprentice plumber, she measures, cuts and installs piping and is usually paired with a master plumber.
Sicard has taken multiple advanced placement courses and holds a 4.4 GPA. She has been named to the High Honor Roll each semester.
She is the senior class president, a student representative for school council and part of the Student Athletic Advisory Board, a club promoting the idea of “One Southeastern” through participation in athletics and spirit weeks. The club helps plan senior nights for student-athletes as well.
Sicard has participated in indoor and outdoor track and field, serving as a captain during her junior and senior years. She has received several awards, including Female Athlete of the Year, the Most Valuable Player for girls outdoor track and field, and the Mayflower Athletic Conference Player of the Year for indoor track and field. She holds the school records for indoor track and field for high jump, long jump, 55-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles, and the school records for outdoor track and field for triple jump and 100-meter hurdles.
She plans to attend Babson College majoring in management for project management or construction management. She also plans to continue track and field in college.
Alyssa Robillard, of Norton
Alyssa Robillard, of Norton, is a senior in the Medical Assisting vocational program. She chose the program because of the many opportunities available to students in clinical studies, and was able to be introduced to not just one specialty, but had the option of 14 medical offices.
She notes that she has learned many valuable skills that have made her feel confident as she enters the nursing field. Her favorite experience from her vocational work was having the chance to be part of a team, saying, “At Good Samaritan Radiation Oncology, I was able to bond with not only the amazing staff and doctors, but the patients who, each and every day, allowed me to further my education as I worked alongside their medical assistant and receptionist.”
Robillard was involved in National Honor Society and outside of school, she volunteered for three years at Sturdy Memorial Hospital.
She will attend the University of Rhode Island, majoring in nursing.
Her advice to freshmen is: “Appreciate the paths that the school allows you to take. We are a school of 21 programs, 21 fields, and an endless amount of paths that you can start on. I am very thankful for all of the teachers I had at Southeastern, both of my parents for supporting all my decisions, and my close friends for providing light when times got dark. I would like to extend my thank you to those who are no longer with us, Charles Ferranto, Sally and Andrew Whelahan, and Paula MacMillan, you will be greatly missed and you four are the reason I strive to help others.”
Jacob Margolis, of Sharon
Jacob Margolis, of Sharon, is a senior in the culinary arts vocational program. He chose the program because he has always had a passion for food and specifically applied to Southeastern because of the culinary program.
He enjoyed being able to work in a real industrial setting and learning how a restaurant functions. His favorite experience was competing in the 2021 Massachusetts Prostart Competition where he and three other teammates created their own three-course menu including an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. He notes that the team was able to win the competition due to the knowledge they gained from the chefs they learned from.
He also competed every year in the SkillsUSA competitions and was able to qualify for the state competition.
Margolis plans to attend Johnson and Wales University, majoring in culinary arts and minoring in mixology. He hopes to use his education to eventually go into the field of recipe development.
His advice to freshmen is: “Choose your shop based on what you like and not what is popular.”
Brittney Riley, of Stoughton
Brittney Riley, of Stoughton, is a senior in the Advertising and Design vocational program. She chose the program because she has always had a passion for art and dreamed of having a profession that incorporates her interests. She notes that when she discovered Southeastern and learned about the shop, she knew that it was an opportunity to make that dream a reality.
What she enjoyed most about her shop is how everyone worked well together as a team and how the program operated like a professional industry. Her favorite experience from her vocational work was working on her senior project, which required students to choose a project that challenged their skills in any aspect of the advertising and design industry. She chose to create an Adult Astrology coloring that contains her illustrations of each zodiac sign and symbol.
She has been involved in the Dual Enrollment Early College High School program allowing her to complete college classes while still in high school. As part of the program, she received an Associate of Arts degree from Massasoit Community College, also receiving High Honors.
She is also a member of the Design and Visual Communications Honor Society. The DVC Honor Society is involved in community service projects, including creating cards for nursing homes. For this community service project students in directive study were given blank cards to write positive and encouraging messages. The cards were then sent to seniors in the area. During her sophomore year, Riley also participated in indoor track and field and softball.
She will attend the UMass-Dartmouth to obtain a bachelor’s degree in either illustration or integrated studio arts. She also plans to acquire an internship while attending UMass-Dartmouth to be part of an industry that incorporates her artistic passions.
His advice to freshmen is: “Always try your best. Even if it may seem hard, it’s okay if what you do is not perfect. As long as you put in the effort everything will be alright. Do not get too stressed about the littlest of things and remember that you have access to all sorts of tools that can help you.”
Josh Piesco, of West Bridgewater
Josh Piesco, of West Bridgewater, is a senior in the plumbing vocational program. He will become a third-generation plumber after his grandfather, father, older brother and brother-in-law.
His favorite experience in the vocational program was working for his father and his company as part of a cooperative education opportunity.
He played junior varsity and varsity baseball for three years.
Following graduation, he plans to continue working as a registered apprentice and attend night school at the Southeastern Technical Institute to complete Tiers 4 and 5 in plumbing lessons. He then plans to take a state board license exam to become a Licensed Journeyman and then Master Plumber.
His advice to freshmen is: “Be open-minded during freshman exploratory as you might find more than one career option of interest.”
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Southeastern Regional High School: Senior Spotlights
