Commencement Delivered by Ruthzee Louijeune, Boston City Councilor At-Large and Boston City Council President, while honoring Antoine Junior Melay and Dylan Leavitt (Photo) as the 2025 Philanthropy SuperSTAR’s!
June 9th, 2-4 pm at Berklee Performing Arts Center
Boston, MA (June 3, 2025) – The Boston Arts Academy Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3)
charitable nonprofit organization that raises essential funds from private philanthropic sources
to augment the Boston Arts Academy, the city’s only public high school for the visual and
performing arts, celebrates its Class of 2025 on Monday, June 9th at Berklee Performing Arts
Center with scholarship announcements, awards and live performances, making the ceremony
a vibrant celebration of student artistry and achievement! The Boston Arts Academy serves
students who reflect the diversity of Boston’s neighborhoods. Ruthzee Louijeune, Boston City
Councilor At-Large and Boston City Council President will deliver the commencement address.
Louijeune will address the graduates and their chosen graduation theme of immigration &
democracy. BAAF will honor Antoine Junior Melay, Executive Vice President at Pipeline with
Purpose (PwP) and Ms. Dylan Leavitt, Founder of Studio Dylan, with the 2025 Philanthropy
SuperSTAR award which celebrates individuals who embody the BAA community’s spirit and
values.
The 2025 seniors have excelled in their academic achievements! The school takes immense
pride in its 90% college acceptance rate this year, a testament to the students’ hard work and
dedication. This year’s graduating class will be venturing into post-secondary institutions,
including Boston University, Emerson College, Fordham University, Northeastern University,
Parsons School of Design, Wellesley College, and Wheaton College among others. Through
generous donations and contributions from the community, the BAAF raised around $200,000
in scholarships for this year’s graduating class at BAA. This year’s graduating seniors were also
awarded around $2 million in merit-based scholarships.
“The Boston Arts Academy Foundation congratulates the courageous and creative seniors in
the Boston Arts Academy’s graduating class of 2025. This group of students embraced our core
values and worked hard to enrich their lives through dance, theater, art, academics, visual arts
and music and thrived, says Denella J. Clark, Boston Arts Academy Foundation President & CEO.
“While talent is evenly distributed in Boston, opportunity is not. We are so grateful to all of our
donors and supporters who help make opportunities and experiences possible for the students
of Boston Arts Academy.”
This year’s Philanthropy SuperSTAR award recipients will be recognized during the ceremony.
Melay, Executive Vice President at Pipeline with Purpose (PwP) a talent pipeline management
and consulting company with a strong purpose to help improve productivity and close the
opportunity gap for highly-qualified minorities to succeed in the American corporate landscape
and Leavitt, Founder of Studio Dylan, who leads multimedia productions for lifestyle brands
and nonprofits, are mentors and inspiration to the graduating seniors.
“Every spring during commencement we have the opportunity to honor individuals whose
commitment to Boston Arts Academy students and the Boston Arts Academy Foundation helps
provide our students with inspiration to find fulfilling and passionate careers and this year we
honor leaders in civic responsibility and entrepreneurship,” says Clark. “We are excited to
honor both Antoine and Dylan this year with our Philanthropy SuperSTAR award, as both have
made an indelible impact on the lives and futures of our student-artists and creatives.”
The ceremony, unlike any other high school graduation, will include live performances from
talented seniors including a vocal show from the BAA Spirituals Ensemble. The award-winning
group has served as powerful ambassadors to BAA, preserving and uplifting the rich history and
tradition of the African American Spiritual. After earning second place at last year’s World
Strides Performing Arts Competition, they have been on a national tour performing at
esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall.
