BOSTON -- Over 140 seniors from the Archdiocese of Boston's Catholic high schools got a head start with their future careers at the Catholic School Foundation's Celebration of Excellence, held at the PWC building in Boston's Seaport District on Feb. 27.

The annual Celebration of Excellence highlights the thousands of Catholic school students who receive scholarships from the CSF. Typically, seniors get to meet CSF donors and tell them how their generosity has enabled them to receive a better education. This year, however, the Celebration of Excellence introduced seniors to leaders in six industries: finance and banking; education; healthcare and biotechnology; law and public service; computer science; and technology, and engineering and technology -- for networking and career advice.

"This is truly our favorite day of the year, as we celebrate our senior scholars," said CSF Executive Director Mike Reardon. "We encourage our seniors to embrace today's networking opportunities. However, it is even more vital that they feel known and loved by this community and understand that there are people who believe in each of them. We have been proud to support them and are excited to see what the future has in store for them."

"We want them to get some advice and clarity in their path, for their careers, and we are specifically introducing them to leaders in industries," said CSF Board Member Peter Gibson.

Gibson himself got his start in a Catholic school, attending St. Agnes School in Rockville Centre, New York, as a child.

"I got discipline," he said. "I got an embrace in the Lord and my faith, which has served me extremely well throughout my life, to know that our lives are not about ourselves."

When CSF Board Member Renee Minogue looks at the seniors, she sees young people who are intelligent, polite, grateful, and excited for their futures.

"I want them to feel how special it is to be part of this organization," she said, "that they are part of an elite group of students who have been chosen to be supported by this organization, and they will forever have mentors and people to look up to in different industries."

Seniors got to hear from two alumni of Boston Catholic schools: Claudia Cellucci, who graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree in 2015; and Aisha Veras, who graduated from St. Joseph's Prep in Brighton in 2020.

"I really did enjoy my time in Catholic school," said Cellucci, who spent her entire K-12 education at Archbishop Williams and St. Francis Xavier School in Weymouth. "I think that it really shaped me a lot in being really academic and focused and ambitious to grow, especially in high school. I think I was set up really well to succeed."

She now works in employee benefits for the Alera Group in Boston and wants seniors to know that they don't have to have anxiety about their futures.

"Everyone has their own timeline, their own journey," she said. "I think it's really important to focus on yourself and take care of yourself and not feel the pressure to have everything figured out right away."

Veras attended public school before enrolling in Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester.

"The biggest difference would be the commitment to service and helping others," she said. "I think Catholic schools make that a very big part of their education, giving back to the community."

She is currently a paralegal for an immigration law firm in Boston. The daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, she grew up in a diverse part of Dorchester. That, along with her Catholic education's emphasis on service, inspired her career choice. She wants the seniors to know that they shouldn't be afraid to admit they need help or ask for it.

"Asking for help is a big strength, and it can take you a long, long way," she said.

The seniors could attend panels of industry leaders in several "breakout room" conferences. Henry Saldivar Salgado, a senior at Malden Catholic who is considering becoming a lawyer, attended Veras's breakout room.

"She was, at one point, in my shoes," he said. "She's a CSF alum, and so personally, I feel like she gave a great explanation as to what I could possibly expect post-high school."

He has attended Catholic school since kindergarten, with the help of CSF scholarships.

"It's a really positive experience," he said. "It opens up a lot of opportunities to meet a lot of new people."