By Jen Myers
“A truly remarkable class filled with joy and excellence,” is how Principal Jaime Moody described the Class of 2024 at the Butler Middle School Eighth-grade Moving Up Ceremony on June 17.
They showed resilience through challenges, made sure their voices were heard, adapted and grew.
“Your journey through middle school has been anything but ordinary, yet you have emerged stronger and more united than ever,” she said. “You sought to make sense of a world in turmoil, showing empathy and understanding beyond your years.”
That maturity, empathy, compassion, and growth was on display that evening as student speakers took the stage throughout the ceremony to share their stories, appreciate their peers and teachers, and put forth some encouragement as they all head off to high school.
Elijah Aponte said he was a very different person the first day he walked into the Butler Middle School.
“I struggled at times with anger, struggled to adjust to middle school and the workload that came with it,” he said. “It wasn’t until the summer between sixth and seventh grade when I grew closer to my family and worked on myself that I began to grow and realize the successes I could achieve. As I prepare for high school, I believe my experiences here at Butler Middle School will help me reach my full potential.”
“Throughout these years we faced challenges, celebrated successes, and created memories that will last a lifetime,” Aponte added. “We learned not only from text books but also from each other, growing into the individuals we are today. Our teachers have been our guides, mentors, and supporters and we owe them our deepest gratitude.”
At the Butler, the teachers and administrators “have created an environment for the students where they can feel safe, valued, and never embarrassed,” said Olivia Suman-Fragoso.
She said her middle school years were particularly shaped by her experience in JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion), a program Ms. Moody established when these graduates were in sixth grade and in which Olivia was one of the first students invited to participate.
“Our mission was to embody those core values in our school, among our peers, within our community and within ourselves,” she said. “Being a part of JEDI, which included taking an online college course, transformed my perspective. Initially, and still, I was very vocal, but JEDI taught me to use my voice to stand up to others. These values, looking out for others, refusing to be a bystander and standing up for what is right will stay with me throughout my life.”
Aleiyah Tunguia Olaso spoke of the awkwardness of coming back to school in person following the COVID-19 pandemic, while also adapting the middle school. It was rough at first, but the students soon got to know each other, adapt to their new reality, and grow.
She urged her fellow graduates to continuing growing, but at the same time enjoy every minute of it.
“I wish that each of us choose to spend our time wisely,” she said. “I want you all to embrace your potential and to take in and enjoy every second of the time we have as young teenagers growing for that is the only thing one can ever do to unlock the best in our life. So go ahead – apply for that summer job, try new sports, go out to the movies, make new friends, make mistakes and learn. Embrace it. Embrace life!”
In true Butler Bulldog fashion, when Maria Mendoza Guiterrez came to the stage to speak and became overwhelmed with emotion, unsure if she could go on, her friend Morgyn Plante stepped up. Morgan came up onto the stage, gave her friend some words of encouragement and comfort, and held her hand throughout her speech.
Maria said in her mind she is still the 9-year-old girl who moved to Lowell five years ago, but in reality, so much has changed.
“I have become a leader and an achiever in this school,” she said. I started this year thinking it would be like every other year at this school – full of new things and one or two deep lessons and I wasn’t wrong. I learned that no matter how much you want something it can’t always go your way. I also learned that I have to let go of things that aren’t for me and that not every opportunity that comes my way is the one that I need.”
“I’m so proud to say that I’m a Butler Bulldog because of the different opportunities that I have been given,” she added. “I have met so many people who have made my point of view in life so much better.”
Having listened to Ms. Moody and all of the student speakers and witnessed students being lauded for achievements in academics, the arts, sports, and character, Dr. Phitsamay Uy, an Associate Professor at the UMass Lowell School of Education and Co-Director of the Center for Asian American Studies, made a confession.
“I’m a wannabe Butler Bulldog,” she said before laying out her case of consideration of being granted honorary Bulldog status for being like them – “Brave, Understanding, Talented Leaders who are Engaged and remarkably Resilient.”
She has shown bravery, by like many of them have the opportunity to do, being the first person in her family to go to college, earning a master’s degree and her doctorate. Despite her accomplishments, Uy said she understands what it means to fail – in fact she failed that very night by forgetting her glasses and not being able to see anything.
Oh, and she is talented just like them. She was the victor of UMass Lowell’s first pickleball tournament.
“I also know that you are leaders,” she said. “I lead by being authentically Lao – some of you heard “loud” and I am that too – a loud Lao, but I also wear my heritage with me.”
Uy explained that she came to the U.S. as a refugee from Laos after spending two years in a refugee camp, an experience that left her suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which is triggered even today when she sees injustice like putting immigrant/refugee children in cages or seeing elderly members of society take advantage of and abused.
“To me, being authentically a leader means showing up and showing that I care and respecting my elders, but also sharing my story to others,” she said.
Like the Butler Bulldogs, Dr. Uy is also engaged and resilient.
“I engage in the community through the work that I do, but I also engage in the community by being present in my family’s life, in my friends’ lives, and also the people that I care about and the people that I teach,” she said, adding she showed her resilience when she failed her Statistics final at Harvard, but just kept going back to try again – several times.
“I hope you will accept my honorary Bulldog status because I’ve been brave enough to come here to be with you among such a talented group,” Uy said. “The Bulldogs I see before me are brave, undeniably loveable, so loquacious, daring, outstanding great people. So, continue being the Butler Bulldogs that you are and show the world what you’ve got.”
Congratulations Bulldogs! And Congratulations Dr. Uy, who we are pretty sure has been allowed to join the Butler dog pack.
LPS Notebook 