Highlander graduates first senior class Thursday

The East Bay’s only charter school will mark a significant moment Thursday evening when 16 seniors from across the state graduate from the Highlander Charter School on Market Street in Warren.
The Highlander Charter School was founded in Providence and 2007 and its lower school, which serves younger grades, still operates at its original location in South Providence. The upper school, which serves grades seven through 12, has been open in the former Our Lady of Fatima School since 2013. The school had formerly been run by the Sisters of St. Dorothy.
The Highlander Charter School serves students from some of the state’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods and offers innovative and non-traditional programs including mentorships and individual projects. Most of the students don’t have access to open space in their inner-city neighborhoods and the school’s large and mostly wooded campus along the Palmer River is in itself a learning opportunity, said Highlander’s Jeanne D’Agostino.
“The environment is amazing. We have enough space and the students are using the outdoor space like crazy. They’re doing science, they’re growing, they’re doing art outside.”
Many of this year’s graduating class have been with Highlander since its beginning. Others, like Alexander Torres, enrolled later in his school career.
As is common with many Highlander students, Alexander enrolled speaking little English and had many obstacles to overcome. After a couple of years at the school, he scored proficient on NECAP testing.
Alex has a strong interest in aviation. Through an East Bay Chamber of Commerce event at Highlander, he met Marianne Douglas, a retired teacher from Mt. Hope High School who is a licensed pilot and the former owner of Horizon Aviation. Her experience with flying allowed Alex to ask questions, hear stories and helped him work toward his goal to become a corporate pilot. During his Junior year, Alex won a small grant that allowed him to take his first flight lesson at Horizon Aviation. Alex got to spend time with someone who
understood his passion for flying, and Ms. Douglas got to share her knowledge and life experience.
As Alex got out of car from their last trip to the control tower at TF Green recently, he said, “One of these days I’m going to take you up for a ride in a plane.”
Though this year’s senior class is just 16 strong, Ms. D’Agostino said there will be 40 incoming seniors this coming year. When the school reaches full capacity, she said, there will be 60 students per grade.
Seniors graduating in the Highlander Charter School’s first senior class Thurday evening include Taylor Alcantara, Amanda Bourdier, Kennia Castillo, Jayda DeWillis, Antonio Guzman, Felix Guzman, Radalvyn Guzman, Navin Jawahir, Domingo Lora Medina, Wesley Monteiro, Wilson Ramos, Michael Rivas, Pedro Rodriguez, Tyler Sandoval, Jason Santana and Alexander Torres. They hail from Pawtucket, Providence, East Providence, Cranston and Johnston.