Keefe Tech Alumni To Graduate From MassBay & Study Communication Disorders at UMass Amherst

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NATICK – After graduating from Keefe Technical High School, Jermaine Porter of Natick, headed into the workforce and used the skills he gained to work as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at several local nursing homes and hospitals.

“I loved working with elderly patients, but I was looking to do something different and expand my role within that age group. I came to MassBay Community College to challenge myself and pursue my college degree,” said Porter.

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With a natural passion for helping others, Porter focused his career path to become a speech-language pathologist to help elderly patients improve their communication skills after experiencing health issues such as strokes.

“I had some minor speech challenges as a child and recognizing how much working with specialists in this field could impact someone’s life, speech pathology felt like a perfect career for me. I believe communication is a fundamental skill—it’s something I value a lot— so I’m excited to be able to work with patients to improve their quality of life through speech,” he said.

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“Returning to school was really a desire to not only achieve that degree, but build an academic foundation and further myself in my life and career. It was not always an easy road becoming a college graduate. I had to overcome personal challenges in my life to reach my goals, but with the support of my advisor, Sean Fortney, and others at MassBay, I can say I never gave up. I persevered over adversities, and I am now a college graduate.”

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Porter participated in many volunteer activities while on campus to support the local community including packaging food for the Greater Boston Food Bank, sorting and packing clothes for Cradles to Crayons, and assembling emergency kits for MassBay students in need. He also earned a spot on the Dean’s List in fall 2019.

Porter, a first generation college student, earned his Associate in Arts degree in General Studies and he will be attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall where he will study Communication Sciences and Disorders

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Photo and press release submitted to SOURCE media