Alumni Spotlight
Mayra Volquez EHS ’07: Passing Her ‘Dare to Dream’ Philosophy to Today’s EHS Students
When Mayra Volquez, ‘07 came to America from the Dominican Republic 15 years ago with her parents and siblings, she entered the 10th grade at English High where she learned a new language – and a lot about her new country. It’s also where she started ‘Daring to Dream’ about how she could change the world.
Years later, Mayra returned to English High School, joining the Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center, directed by Sage Marsters. Ms. Marsters recruits, trains and coordinates a team of tutors who support learning in classrooms and works one-on-one with students on college application essays and coursework. Tutors build positive relationships with students, share learning strategies, and model learning processes. The payoff comes in getting to see students reach that “Aha!” moment when they understand a new concept or skill, or write an essay they feel proud of.
Mayra earned earned her degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Adult Echocardiography at Mass. College of Pharmacy and her Master’s in Project Management with a specialization in Population Health from Colorado State University Global. Today she’s a Research Echo Analyst performing echo analysis for Cardiovascular clinical trials at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, performing patient test analysis and training new staff. She’s also a volunteer Honorary Director, Project Lead for the Public Health Literacy organization – her true passion!
“My goal is to earn a Ph. D. in Public Health,” says Mayra, “to create my own worldwide organization to educate people about the importance of maintaining good health and teach the value of disease prevention. I want to bring change.”
Now Mayra devotes two or more hours per week to the EHS Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center: “Of course I understood its importance from personal experience, but the Alumni Association’s ‘Daring to Dream’ 200th Anniversary event motivated me to look at the englishighalumni.org website. I jumped at the volunteer opportunity to help new immigrants in EHS’s 10th and 11th grades. I’m excited to spend time with students and to work with Ms. Marsters, to help kids learn English, but more importantly, to focus on how they can follow their dreams – just as I have done.”
If you would like to volunteer at the EHS Alumni & Friends Tutoring Center, contact Sage Marsters:
smarsters@bostonpublicschools.org . Subjects and schedules are very flexible!
