As the seniors’ time at Doherty is quickly wrapping up and coming to a close, it is time to fully and deeply reflect on one of the Highlander’s Herald‘s own, Jailene Matias. I had the pleasure of exchanging emails with some deep advice that every single kid, going to college or not, can benefit from. Jailene, apart from her many accomplishments already, has a full ride to Holy Cross in Worcester where she is majoring in pre-med, and is graduating with a 4.1 GPA.

In our interview, I began asking about highlights from her years at Doherty and what her plans were for after graduation. She gave me all of those answers and more, explaining that she is a member of the National Honor Society, which she has been part of for two years.

The extra surprising thing as the interviewer was that such a committed student wasn’t always that way. “Growing up, I wasn’t always one of those die-hard academic kids, but I knew school was important. To stay motivated, I made sure to find at least one subject I genuinely loved each year. For me, that ended up being science and social studies—they just always stood out as interesting and meaningful.”

More than finding motivation through classes, Jailene also was in a wide variety of clubs. Jailene explained that “I joined a variety of clubs and programs. I was in the Upward Bound program at Worcester State, served as president of the Model UN team and the Community Service Club, and got involved wherever I could (though my mom was not having it when it came to sports!). I’ve always felt that clubs are a great way to break away from academic stress and really get to know people—no awkward icebreakers, just natural connection.”

In this first piece came the senior’s first bit of advice, “During my junior and senior years, I really focused on my future. I’ve been applying for scholarships since freshman year (which I highly recommend, by the way).” Jailene also informed that around that year she started fully considering a career in the medical field. “My mom was an EMT for 13 years, and so was my uncle, so I’ve always felt a strong connection to healthcare.”

She took the reels full force to join opportunities in healthcare. She joined the competitive UMass Chan High School Health Careers Program, where she got to interact with doctors, take SAT prep and science classes, and even spend time in the UMass hospital. She expressed that she “truly fell in love with the program” and “was honored to receive three awards” while there.

Beyond that, Matias has stayed involved through writing for the Highlander’s Herald, volunteering, and interning at the school administration building. She also participated in the MLK Poetry Contest, writing about BIPOC women in medicine, and was recently nominated for the Women of Consequence Award by the City Committee.

As only a freshman I was taken aback in awe but still had some questions. I was curious what contributed to her decision to go to Holy Cross and how she got a UMass opportunity. Jailene explained that she liked that it was close to home but ultimately chose the Crusaders because of a full ride covering dorms, food, and more. The story behind finding the UMass opportunity however, was a stumble of fortune. Jailene said that, “I was trying to look for an internship in the hospital and I had stumbled upon the program and I loved the opportunities they were offering.” In this part of the interview, the question of what Jailene would want to do in the medical field came up and if there were any specific reasons for why she wanted to do it.
Jailene explained that she found herself “falling in love with women’s health and the current ambushes the field is currently taking from the current administration so I not only fell in love with that fact that I would help women but also bring back my power of arguing from Model UN and fight for women’s rights to good and reliable health care.” She strives to become an OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist), help welcome babies into the world, and “fight to make sure they are welcomed into a welcoming world that won’t question women at the state borders.”

We ended the interview with a common but deep ended answer question of what Jailene’s advice to her younger self would be. Jailene answered this saying “I think I would tell myself to stop letting people hold you back from what you want and don’t be afraid to let people who don’t respect to be in your life. There are many people in life that will either support you or be against you and the ones that truly love would never be against your aspirations in life.”

This ’24-’25 school year, the Herald thrived on the talents and dedication of our senior contributors: Andrew Kluchko, Aleandra Kusi, Crissary Fuentes Diaz, and Jazlin Garcia. Each of them brought their unique style and creativity to every issue, helping to shape a publication we can all be proud of. From thoughtful editorials to engaging features and in-depth reporting, their hard work has left a lasting impact and set the best possible example to the underclassmen. As they prepare to take on new adventures beyond Doherty, they will always be highlanders in our hearts and we want to sincerely thank and wish them the very best of luck—your future is bright, and we’re all cheering you on!