The New England Laborers’/Cranston Public Schools (NEL/CPS) Construction and Career Academy graduated 35 students this past June. Here are the school’s top three students:

#1 Xavier Pichardo

Xavier Pichardo, valedictorian of NEL/CPS Construction and Career Academy’s class of 2022, will attend the New England Institute of Technology this fall.

Pichardo, who excelled in the classroom and in the community, graduated with an overall 4.144 grade point average.

He earned several honors including the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Commissioner’s Seal Council Designation which “certifies that a student is proficient in standards aligned to high school expectations in English Language Arts and Mathematics,” and the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Guided Pathway Endorsement Council Designation in Business and Industry which “certifies that a student has accomplished deep learning in a chosen area of interest and is prepared for employment or further education in a career path.”

When asked about his future, Pichardo said: “I have aspirations and dreams of hitting the pinnacles and milestones I desire most, and I use those goals as reference to my current state of persona,”

Pichardo hopes to graduate from NEIT in three years with a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering and said he must focus on the things he needs to set in motion now in order to get there.

“I aspire to be successful investing in real estate but, to become as successful as I hope to be, I need to be focusing on the things that’ll prepare me as I progress. I covet becoming an influential figure and partnering in multiple impactful movements, but I must focus on my character and who I am now in order to optimize the effects of those endeavors. I no longer want to run from the present by spending too much time focusing on the future,” said Pichardo.

#2 Kattie Albeno

Kattie Albeno, salutatorian of NEL/CPS Construction and Career Academy’s class of 2022, will attend Roger Williams University this fall. She plans to study criminal justice.

Albeno joined the NEL/CPS Construction and Career Academy her junior year and, through self motivation to succeed, obtained a 4.0679 grade point average.

Her English teacher, Sophia Munoz, said Albeno stood out amongst her peers as someone who was well organized and notably self-driven.

“Kattie is a phenomenal advocate for herself, who continuously takes ownership of her academic progress and is proactive in seeking ways to refine her skills and grow as a learner. What has been incredibly rewarding for me, as her teacher, is that Kattie continually asks questions until she clarifies her understanding; her dedication has made her a role model to her peers. She is self-reflective, responsible, and kind — someone that I would want on my team,” said Munoz.

Albeno said she looks at her mother as a role model because she is hard working, provides everything Albeno needs and is there when she needs her.

“To me, my family is everything and I will never take them for granted. I hope that all the work and effort will affect my future in a positive way,” said Albeno.

When looking at the future, Albeno said: “In five years, I believe that I will be successful in the career I pursued and that I will be traveling to different countries. My dream and one of my goals is to become a lawyer.”

She is also interested in helping people.

“I want to make a big impact on this world and change it for the better,” Albeno said. “I also have an interest in traveling the world, seeing different parts of the world and learning about new cultures.”

#3 Carlos Lopez

Carlos Lopez, who ranks third in NEL/CPS Construction and Career Academy’s class of 2022, will attend Rhode Island College in the fall. Lopez successfully completed the program with a 3.539 grade point average. 

His history teacher, Robert Lowell, said during distance learning, Lopez was one of the few students who attended every day with his camera on and participated. He described Lopez as dependable, motivated, organized, reliable, consistent, personable, flexible and having a good sense of humor.

For his academic and career and technical education success, Lopez earned the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Guided Pathway Endorsement Council Designation in Business and Industry.

When asked about his future plans, Carlos said: “This will be a big milestone in my life because this has been something that I have been doing for 13 years. I still try to put in as much effort as I can so that I can be successful. Over these couple weeks there are a lot of decisions that I have to make for my future. This is something that is very exciting but also very stressful because there are so many options that I can go for in my life. Ultimately, I hope to be a good role model for my whole family and the world around me.”