BOSTON -- Seniors graduating from Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston got the chance to meet the people who supported their education at the annual CSF Celebration of Excellence, held at the PwC building in Boston's Seaport District on Feb. 28.

The Celebration of Excellence is a chance for seniors who received CSF scholarships to tell donors how their gifts impacted them. It also gives them the chance to network in a professional setting.

"Learning about networking is important and vital," said CSF Engagement and Events Coordinator Stephen Lavoie. "Essentially, it gets them internships, gets them into college, and future job interviews."

Alexis Matos, a senior at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, said it was "heartwarming" to be surrounded by so many adults who cared about how she was doing and what her plans for the future were. Alexis described herself as "pretty low-income" and said she would not have been able to attend Central Catholic if not for a CSF scholarship.

"It goes beyond just education," she said. "It's the networking, it's everything that comes associated with high school. So, all the connections we made, what tools, resources we've been given to reach college and beyond."

She plans to study law but doesn't know what university she will attend. Her fellow Central Catholic senior and scholarship recipient Dylan Kabaria plans to attend Rutgers University to study nursing or exercise science.

"It's been an amazing opportunity," he said. "Being able to go to Central Catholic because of the scholarship has granted me access to greater education and a greater community."

In his remarks, CSF Executive Director Michael Reardon told students that the Celebration of Excellence was a time to recognize donors, teachers, administrators, and CSF board members "who have committed their lives to a belief in you."

"The Catholic Schools Foundation can only exist because people give of their time and resources to work with your schools and work with you to have a life-changing Catholic school experience," he said.

Students also heard remarks from Samuel Cintra, who received CSF support to attend school at Pope St. John Paul II Catholic Academy Lower Mills Campus in Dorchester and Cathedral High School in Boston. Coming to the U.S. from Cuba as a child and speaking no English, Cintra went on to become valedictorian at Cathedral High and receive a full scholarship to Denison University, from which he graduated in 2023.

"The education that I received was important, but I got so much more than just English, math, science," he said. "Due to my CSF education, I learned values that lead to success. I met successful leaders that turned into mentors that can help me grow in my career, and most importantly, I found my true potential and learned to believe in myself just as much as they believed in me."