Bottom Line

Success Counselor, Cara and 2015 Bottom Line Graduate, Najma at Recognition Night in Boston.

Senior Recognition Night is a chance to honor graduating seniors for their hard work and perseverance in earning their college degrees. This year’s events were graciously hosted by Bottom Line corporate partners State Street in Boston and Bowditch & Dewey in Worcester.

On June 3rd, 2015, Worcester area graduates, family members, friends, staff, and supporters gathered at Bowditch & Dewey to commemorate the graduates. They heard from keynote speaker Second Worcester District Senator Michael Moore and from Framingham University 015 graduate, Brittany Booker. Similarly, on June 15th, 2015, Boston-area graduates heard from keynote speaker Chris Gabrieli, Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, and from Bottom Line student and recent Suffolk University graduate, Najma Hussain.

This was an exciting evening as many of Bottom Line’s graduating seniors are the first in their families to receive a bachelor’s degree. For some students, the path to earning a college degree was a challenging journey of hard work, uncertainty, and promise. Today, however, the final phase of Bottom Line’s motto, to “Get In, Graduate, and Go Far”, is where the Bottom Line class of 2015 now finds itself, having crossed the stage, diploma in hand, armed with the skills necessary to pursue a career in their field. Now more than 200 Bottom Line graduates are joining a growing network of more than 1,000 alumni.

Najma Hussain, a graduating senior from Suffolk University, was the student speaker for the evening. She shared her story of moving to the United States, learning English, the lessons she is taking with her from her college experience, and her hopes for her future career: “I started Bottom Line with the process of applying to college, and this year with Bottom Line, I completed the law school application process– I will be starting law school at Suffolk Law in the fall. With my law degree I want to promote social justice, coexistence, and mutual understanding. Everyone has a voice, and that voice counts toward societal changes that make a better world for all of us, regardless of our race, gender, and religious identity.” Along with Najma, today we celebrate all of the inspirational Bottom Line graduates—of whom we are very proud.

As Bottom Line counselors, we provide our students with a little bit of support and encouragement in a few key areas. But ultimately all the credit belongs to these young adults, whose commitment and resilience, from late nights studying in the library, to working long shifts to help pay tuition, is what has brought them to where they are today. Congratulations to the class of 2015!

Written by Erin O’Donnell, Bottom Line Success Counselor