Excitement and pride filled the room on Friday, May 29, as Excel Academy Charter High School held its annual Senior Signing Day, bringing the greater Excel community together to celebrate the Class of 2026 as they announced their post-secondary plans.

Seniors took the stage one by one to reveal where their next chapters will begin, from community colleges and vocational programs to some of the nation’s most selective universities. Destinations ranged from UMass Boston to Dartmouth College, Northwestern University, Tufts University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

For students pursuing their post-secondary pathways, particularly two- and four-year colleges, affordability is equally as important as admission. While Massachusetts’ statewide FAFSA completion rate sits at just 43.2% — with significant disparities across demographic groups — Excel seniors achieved a 96% completion rate, ensuring that financial aid barriers would not stand between students and their futures.

As a result of their persistence and hard work, the Class of 2026 earned over $3.1M in scholarships and financial aid.

“To accomplish something great you have to believe it fully within your heart. Regardless of how otherworldly that dream or aspiration may be. If you want to achieve it you must truly believe in in it, and it seems that everyone here already has made that first step.”

– Class of 2026 Member Ethan M.

“So many of you are the first in your family to go to college,” said Laura Goldworm, speaking directly to the Class of 2026. “You are forging a path for your siblings and cousins that will come after you, showing them what can be achieved with hard work and ambition. You are making your families’ dreams come true and changing what is possible for the future.”

The event celebrated every senior and every pathway. This year, every member of the Class of 2026 has an affordable, productive plan for what comes next. That doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of years of hard work by our students and the dedicated team that supports them.