Congratulations to our 2026 College Graduates!
Merkeb Amanuel | Boston University
Takirah Clark | Westfield State University
Jamahl Cruickshanks | University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Sayid Davis | University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Selena Davis | University of Rochester
Kaisha Glass | Fort Valley State University
Rafael Torres | St. Thomas University
Alea Turner | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy
Naya Cardoso | University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Being a METCO student ignited my love for public health. Throughout high school, I developed key leadership skills through student government, the peer leaders program, and the girls' lacrosse team. Taking on these roles sparked my passion for problem-solving and working with people. Eager to bring these skills back to my home community, I developed a strong interest in community health and health equity.
This aspiration led me to pursue a double major in Public Health and American Sign Language at the University of Rochester. Through this unique combination of study and completing a Community Engaged
Learning certification, I connected with Deaf and underserved populations to learn how to best support and advocate for their health needs. Through these experiences, I found my voice as a future public health leader.
As I approach the next stage of my journey, I plan to earn my Master’s in Public Health and obtain an ASL interpreter license. My ultimate goal is to research, develop solutions, and advocate for equitable,
sustainable, and community-driven approaches that address health disparities in underserved communities.
My journey would not be the same without the METCO College Scholarship Fund of Lexington. Their financial support allowed me to spend more time exploring my passions, immersing myself in diverse communities, and building the foundational skills and knowledge needed to succeed in my future career. The support of both the fund and the team served as a constant source of encouragement, reminding me that I could achieve my academic goals.
GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Selena Davis
University of Rochester Class of 2026
“[The METCO College Scholarship of Lexington’s] financial support allowed me to spend more time exploring my passions, immersing myself in diverse communities, and building the foundational skills and knowledge needed to succeed in my future career.
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I graduated from UMass Lowell with a degree in Finance and Quantitative Economics. When I think about what made my four years possible, two things stand out: the support of the METCO Scholarship Fund of Lexington and the preparation I received at Lexington High School.
The scholarship took a real financial weight off my shoulders. Because of that support, I was able to pay the rest of my bill on my own instead of taking out loans or relying on my parents. Covering my own education gave me a sense of independence and ownership over my college experience, and it meant that money was never the reason I had to turn down an opportunity.
The academic rigor at Lexington High School made an equally large difference. During my first two years of college, much of the curriculum covered material I had already seen at LHS. That head start gave me time most students do not have early on. Rather than just trying to keep up, I was able to step back and think seriously about what I wanted from my degree and my career. I put that time into recruiting for internships and participating in opportunities that would help me network or prepare for the career I wanted. Over my four years, I interned at the METCO, Inc. headquarters, at Fortune 100 companies, and at asset and wealth management firms. These experiences taught me a lot about myself, what I like, what I don't like, and how to navigate corporate environments, helping me narrow down where I want my career to go and ultimately leading me to pursue a career in the financial services industry.
I am grateful to the METCO Scholarship Fund for investing in me. The fund gave me the room to work hard, explore my options, and leave college prepared for what comes next.
GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Sayid Davis
UMass Lowell Class of 2026
“When I think about what made my four years possible, two things stand out: the support of the METCO Scholarship Fund of Lexington and the preparation I received at Lexington High School.
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After graduating from Lexington High School, I decided to continue my education at Salem State University, where I majored in Psychology. I spent my first two years of college in Massachusetts, building relationships, becoming more independent, and learning more about my interest in psychology and working with others. Juggling being a first-year mentor, work-study, and working at the police department, all while running the Black Student Union Association and focusing on my academics, was difficult but helped me to build my own discipline.
My college journey took an unexpected turn after my father passed away and my family relocated to Georgia. Midway through my junior, I made the difficult decision to transfer to Fort Valley State, an HBCU (Historically Black College-University). For the first time in my life, I was around people who not only looked like me, but had similar backgrounds, a wonderful adventure. At Fort Valley, I became heavily involved on campus and found opportunities to develop my leadership skills while continuing to grow academically and personally. I graduated from Fort Valley State University Magna Cum Laude with my bachelor’s degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences, with a major in Psychology.
Now, as I begin the next chapter of my journey, I am working toward pursuing my master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Augusta University. My long-term goal is to become an occupational therapist who works not only children, but also with adults, potentially at a hospital, where I can help them to develop the skills, confidence, and independence they need to navigate everyday life.
Looking back, my journey after METCO did not happen exactly the way I imagined it would. From starting college in Massachusetts, losing my father, moving to Georgia, transferring schools, and ultimately finding my passion for occupational therapy, there were many moments when I had to adjust and keep moving forward. METCO was one of the communities that helped prepare me to step outside of my comfort zone, pursue higher education, and believe that I could create opportunities for myself. I am very grateful for the generous financial support of the METCO College Scholarship Fund of Lexington, and for the foundation METCO gave me, and the people I’ve met through the program. I’m excited to continue carrying those lessons with me into the next chapter of my life.
GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Kaisha Glass
Fort Valley State University Class of 2026
“I am very grateful for the generous financial support of the METCO College Scholarship Fund of Lexington, and for the foundation METCO gave me, and the people I’ve met through the program.
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To continue my education post LHS, I decided to go to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I majored in Kinesiology to continue learning about the human body, which became a late interest of mine in high school after I needed knee surgery following an injury in football. While enjoying my time at Amherst via meeting new people, exploring Western Mass, etc. I got to work in some really cool internships.
One right off the gate was a sports performance internship where I got to work with D1 athletes across various sports to learn how to coach, but also pick the minds of certified strength and conditioning coaches. Learning how to balance spontaneous free time along with the strict schedules of athletes, whether it would be a 6 a.m. wake-up for me or a 1:30 session, proved to be somewhat of a life lesson, as I thought in college the early METCO wake-ups would be no more. Instead, it showed that if you want to do something, you have to get up and make it happen.
As I wrapped that internship up in the fall of my sophomore year, I had an itch to return to aiding with football and switched internships to a manager role for the football team, where I continued learning skills in time management and some tinkering skills, as I also had a role in handling equipment. Learning how to be professional with D1 football coaches was a skill I never knew I would need, but it showed me a blueprint for how I should act in my next phase of life, which would become coaching at LHS.
Due to the METCO fund, part of the burden of having to do unpaid internships was alleviated, as the fund could now serve as work money, and I was able to get these opportunities and even travel with the football team without having to run up a credit card and put myself in a financial hole after college. It’s nice to have had a community always looking for the best in me and for me to develop even after high school, and to invest in its product to grow and take on the world.
GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Jamahl Cruickshank
UMass Amherst Class of 2026
“Due to the [METCO College Scholarship of Lexington], part of the burden of having to do unpaid internships was alleviated, as the fund could now serve as work money, and I was able to get these opportunities [...] without having to run up a credit card and put myself in a financial hole after college.
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