Four Roslindale Residents Named BPS Valedictorians

ROSLINDALE, MA - Four high school seniors from Roslindale are the valedictorians of their graduating classes this year.

Tarannum Rahman of Boston International High School; Ina Dodoveci of John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics & Science; Venus Pimentel of Snowden International School; and Gesar Naksi of West Roxbury Academy were all at the top of their classes in 2016.

A Boston Public Schools press release described Rahman, an immigrant from Bangladesh, as "a motivated, hardworking, and studious young woman of enormous potential who has exemplified the values of the school community."

Dodoveci immigrated from Albania and will attend Boston University in the fall, according to the release.

Pimentel, who volunteered at an orphanage and helped raise money for the school in Jamaica where she taught English, will attend Northeastern University on a full scholarship.

And Naksi, a soccer player and member of the student government and National Honors Society, will head to the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University in the fall. He hopes to graduate with a degree in biology and continue his education in the medical field, according to the release.

The valedictorians were honored Tuesday by Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Chang, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston School Committee Chairman Michael O'Neill at the BPS Annual Valedictorian Luncheon.

The event was held at the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf.

"Congratulations to all of our students for achieving this remarkable accomplishment," Chang said at the ceremony, according to the release. "They make all of us so proud; they are hard workers, resilient, and they have an unwavering desire to succeed."

Walsh said in his remarks that more than half of the 37 valedictorians are the first in their families to attend college, more than half were born outside of the United States and eight had been in the BPS system since kindergarten, according to the release.

"This group of scholars is a testament to the BPS, and each student should be proud of their success," he said. "These students enrich our communities, schools and the City of Boston. Congratulations to the valedictorians and their families on this great accomplishment."

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Schools