PICTURED ARE Nyal Fuentes and Rep. Lipper-Garabedian at the Latino Excellence Awards Ceremony.
MELROSE — State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D-Melrose) nominated Melrose resident Nyal Fuentes as a Latino Excellence Awardee. The Latino Excellence Award sponsored by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (Caucus) aims to recognize leaders, trailblazers and change makers contributing to municipalities across the Commonwealth.
“I was honored to nominate and recognize Nyal as a 2024 Latino Excellence Nominee,” said State Rep Kate Lipper-Garabedian. “Nyal has led a career of public service and dedication to the Massachusetts education system. He has worked tirelessly to improve student social and academic outcomes through his roles as career readiness coordinator, teacher and advocate. Nyal’s work has not only impacted the Melrose community but the Commonwealth as a whole.”
“I’m very humbled to be a part of this group recognized today, most of whom have achieved things I could only dream of doing. As a public servant, it’s strange; we largely exist and labor in the background and being acknowledged is pretty special and unexpected,” said Nyal Fuentes. “It’s been an honor to work with and for a community that has always valued family and education. My thanks to Representative Lipper-Garabedian for this nomination, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for allowing me to be loud and contribute and also specifically the educators in Melrose Public Schools who have done so much for my own children. As those who came long before us said, pa’lante, siempre, pa’lante.”
Nyal Fuentes has spent his 30 year professional career in and around public education including at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) for the past 23 years. Currently, he is a college and career readiness coordinator at the Department and works in many initiatives to increase academic and social outcomes for the Commonwealth’s high school students. He was also one of the founding team members for the Office for English Language Acquisition at the Department nearly 20 years ago. He has a strong belief that, without evidence and recognition of opportunity and achievement gaps, we will never empower our historically marginalized students to reach their true potential. As a member of In Pursuit of Equity, Accountability and Success Collaborative, he works with other educators dedicated to the success of the Latino student population.
Nyal has lived the public education experience in the Commonwealth as a graduate of a Massachusetts public school and with college degrees from all segments of the public higher education system, an AA from Cape Cod Community College, a BA in history from Framingham State College, a Master’s in Secondary Education (certification track) from UMass/Boston and a C.A.G.S from UMass/Amherst in Educational Policy, Planning and Administration. He is a first-generation college student who worked his way through his undergraduate and graduate school. Nyal has been active in the Melrose community with the Melrose Human Rights Commission and First Congregational Church. He lives in Melrose with his wife and two daughters.
The Latino Excellence Awards took place on October 25 at the Massachusetts State House with remarks from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Fellow Alejandra Y. Castillo and Caucus members.
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PICTURED ARE Nyal Fuentes and Rep. Lipper-Garabedian at the Latino Excellence Awards Ceremony.
