For many students, graduation is the end of a journey. But for the graduates of Revere High School’s Coast Collaborative, it meant something much more powerful: perseverance, resilience, and the guts to keep going when the traditional path no longer felt possible.
Coast Collaborative celebrated its Class of 2026 graduation, honoring students who earned their diplomas overcoming major personal, academic, and life challenges. The alternative pathway program, located at Revere High School, serves students best served outside the traditional classroom environment. Coast gives students the second chance they may not get in a traditional high school setting, with individualized instruction, flexible scheduling and intensive support.
It provides a small, supportive environment with a shortened school day and personalized learning on the APEX online platform. Students work at their own pace with a team that includes a school adjustment counselor, special education teacher and paraprofessional.
Graduate Jefferson Morales Umana dealt with anxiety that sometimes made it feel impossible to complete high school. “Anxiety was a daily part of my life in late 2023,” he told fellow graduates and family members during the ceremony. It impacted my friendships, relationships, grades, and physical and mental health.
As his problems increased, Jefferson started missing school and losing ground academically. He never thought he'd make it to graduation day. That changed when he joined Coast Collaborative in November 2024.
“The program was better than I expected, and it became one of my favorite places very quickly,” he said. It was just what I needed. “I was happy, excited, comfortable.
With the help of Coast staff and a new confidence in himself, Jefferson was able to find his academic and personal footing again. He credited the program’s teachers and support staff with helping him regain his self-belief and encouraging him to take risks he used to avoid.
The most important lesson that he told his classmates was not to let anxiety make your decisions for you. "If there could be something I could give to you all, it's never to let anxiety make your decisions for you," he said. “You are more than what your mind tells you.”
Graduate fellow Daniella Zelaya Najarro shared her story of perseverance through family sacrifice and determination. She spoke partly in Spanish to honor her parents' journey and reflected on the challenges that nearly derailed her path to graduation.
Her parents came to the United States from everything they knew in search of a better life for their family and a brighter future. Their sacrifices were one of the motivating factors in her own educational journey. “I carry not only my story, but theirs as well,” she said.
Daniella was originally scheduled to graduate in 2025, but when things didn’t go according to plan, she began to wonder if she should continue to pursue her diploma. She was not a quitter, so she joined Coast Collaborative in May 2025.
“Coast gave me a second chance and that second chance changed my life,” she said.
Daniella is a high school graduate today, and she has already completed her first semester at Bunker Hill Community College studying nursing.
In her talk, she stressed that success is not how fast a person can get to a goal, but being able to keep moving forward despite setbacks.
A memory that stood out from her time in the program was a four-mile hike in Lynn Woods. While she said she was by no means an enthusiastic hiker, the experience became a metaphor for her educational journey. “Although the trail seems tiring and uncertain, you continue to put one foot in front of the other,” she said. This is what Coast taught me.
The two students thanked the Coast staff members who had helped them through difficult times in their lives. Their stories shared a common thread: success is rarely a straight line, and sometimes the most meaningful achievements come after unexpected detours.
The Coast Collaborative was designed for students who are in extraordinary circumstances that have made it impossible for them to be successful in a traditional school environment. Through personalized instruction, family outreach, and collaboration with support providers, the program helps students overcome obstacles and stay connected to their education.
For this year’s graduates, Coast has been more than an alternative route to a diploma. It offered hope, reassurance, and an opportunity to envisage a future that had once seemed out of reach.
The graduates, while receiving their diplomas, took with them lessons learned from hardships faced, proof that with the right support and determination, second chances can produce amazing results.
List of Graduates
- Nelzon Alfaro Vasquez
- Marcos Alvisuriz
- Delia Galvez Rodriguez
- Vanessa Galdamez
- Tahisha Garrido Tejeda
- Johana Mejia Maldonado
- Jefferson Morales Umana
- Daniella Zelaya Najarro
See more photos HERE!