Moving Forward and Giving Back
Your investment in our Academies does so much more than help engage a child’s mind; it fuels their heart and soul, teaching them to live a life in which they do well personally and make their communities better. After 15 years of doing this work, our SJPIICA and TCA alumni are now joining fields such as science, business, non-profit work, and education – all with a common theme of “giving back.” We are delighted to highlight two young alums that are using their formative Catholic education experience to help “pay it forward.”
Meet AJ Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsa is a graduate of Trinity Catholic Academy and currently a student at St. Sebastian’s. AJ has
not taken long to make his mark. As ESPN’s #1 rated high school freshman in the country, he is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in high school basketball. However, despite the recent spotlight and expectations on his future career, he has not forgotten his roots in Brockton, MA.
In a recent interview with WCVB, AJ described himself as “just a regular Brockton kid, just trying to make it out… and give back to Brockton.” Giving back is nothing new to AJ. Despite balancing a full schedule of basketball and rigorous academics, AJ spends his spring and summer breaks working as a tutor at his former school, TCA.
Meet Meyanni Araujos
Meyanni Araujos graduated from the St. John Paul II Catholic Academy Columbia campus in 2016 and Cathedral High School in 2020. Today, Meyanni is a standout student at Providence College where she studies Elementary/Special Education and plans to become a teacher. Like AJ, Meyanni has wasted no time in giving back to her community.
When home on college breaks, Meyanni works with children at the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester. “Working with all the kids is a true blessing,” she says, “to see the impact I have in their lives, and how much we have learned from each other. My passion for teaching grew since being at SJPIICA, looking up to my teachers and helping out with kindergarten classes and after school.”
