Revere High School Welcome Club’s work was highlighted by WCVB Channel 5 as part of its weekly “High Five” series, which recognizes individuals making a positive impact in their communities. The spotlight not only showcased the club’s mission but also highlighted the empathy and leadership driving its members.
During the segment, WCVB’s Antoinette Antonio interviewed several Welcome members, including founder Jose Marin. Marin explained that after he arrived at Revere High School two years ago, the hallways felt overwhelming.
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New to the school and newly arrived from Colombia, Marin remembers feeling lost—unsure where to go, who to ask for help, or how to navigate a school system far different from the one he had known. There was no guided tour, no built-in support system, and no friendly face assigned to help him find his footing.
“I just got here and didn’t know about anything,” Marin recalled. “There wasn’t anyone to tell me what to do or where to go.”
That experience would ultimately inspire Marin to create something he wished had existed when he first arrived: the Revere High School Welcome Club, a student-led group dedicated to helping new and transfer students—many of whom were newcomers to the United States—feel seen, supported, and included from their very first day.
Today, when a new student walks through the doors of Revere High School, the experience is very different from what Marin once faced. Instead of navigating the building alone, they are greeted by Welcome Club members who offer personal tours, introduce them to classmates, and help them adjust to daily routines that can feel intimidating to someone new.
“Please make sure you show him around,” one Welcome Club member is heard saying in the WCVB segment, as students guide a newcomer through the school’s learning commons and classrooms.
For freshman Cesar Marin, who now helps welcome others, the idea behind the club immediately resonated.
“I thought it was honestly a great idea,” Cesar said. “I know how intimidating it is to be new. Even though I’ve only been new once—back in second grade—it was still terrifying.”
The Welcome Club focuses especially on students who are new to the country, pairing them with peers who speak the same native language whenever possible. Members help explain schedules, school expectations, and resources that might otherwise take weeks or months to figure out.
But their support goes far beyond academics.
One of the most daunting moments for any new student, Welcome Club members say, is lunch period—a time when uncertainty can quickly turn into isolation. To ease that transition, club members walk students through the cafeteria, help them select their meals, and sit with them so no one has to eat alone.
“We’ll show them where to get lunch and make sure they get what they want,” Cesar explained. “Then we sit with them so they don’t have to be alone. And they’re always invited to sit with us—not just on the first day, but for as long as they want.”
This year, the club’s role expanded even further. With cuts to school bus funding, some students suddenly found themselves navigating public transportation for the first time. Club members stepped in to help, showing newcomers how to read bus schedules and safely get to and from school.
In some cases, the help is even more personal.
One Welcome Club member, Maicon Ribeiro, shared the story of a student who reached out with a simple but telling question: how to get a haircut.
“He sent me a message and said, ‘I don’t know how to get a haircut. Can you please help me?’ Ribeiro explained. “So, I took him to the barber shop.”
To outside observers, it may seem like a small gesture. To school educators, it speaks volumes about the character of the students involved.
“Do they really need to do that?” said Lino Paulo Cabral, RHS Transfer Student Activity Advisor, during the WCVB segment. “But the fact that they are doing that—it’s great. You have a group here with a lot of empathy and a lot of compassion.”
Cabral says the Welcome Club embodies the values Revere High School strives to instill in its students: leadership, inclusivity, and community responsibility.
“I’m super proud of them,” he said. “They are amazing human beings.”
For Marin, seeing the club grow and make an impact has been deeply meaningful. What began as a response to his own sense of isolation has become a lifeline for dozens of students navigating new languages, cultures, and school systems.
“I didn’t want anyone—especially those new to the country—to feel alone,” he said.
The Welcome Club’s recognition on WCVB’s “High Five” segment was a moment of pride not only for the students but also for the entire Revere community. The segment concluded by honoring Marin, Cesar, and all Welcome Club members for their compassion and dedication.
“You get this High Five,” Antonio said as the segment wrapped.