For Nicole Pimentel, Class of 2020, the path to where she is today has not been linear, but it has always been purposeful.
“I’ve learned that you will always end up where you’re meant to be,” she says.
When Nicole first discovered Cristo Rey Boston as an eighth grader, she wasn’t sure what to expect. A visit to the school with the Knight for a Day program changed everything. “The professionalism, the environment, and the Corporate Work Study Program felt different from anything I had seen before,” she recalls. “It felt like a place where I could start fresh and become more independent.”
That fresh start became transformative. At CRB, Nicole found both academics that challenged her to rise to new expectations and teachers who were deeply invested in her success. “The teachers were passionate and willing to do anything to help you succeed,” she says. Motivated to excel, she pushed herself to earn top grades and fully engage in the community.
Through the Corporate Work Study Program, she spent three years working in different departments at Boston College. These experiences gave her early exposure to professional environments, taught her accountability and communication, and instilled the importance of planning for the future. “It made me realize that if you want to succeed, you have to take responsibility for your choices,” she reflects.
Nicole’s transition to college reflected the strong foundation she built at Cristo Rey Boston. As a first-generation student, she entered College of the Holy Cross with a sense of independence and responsibility shaped by the routines she developed in high school. College coursework, particularly writing, pushed her further, but she felt prepared to meet those expectations. Drawing on habits from CRB, Nicole wasn’t afraid to seek support from her professors. “Everything is about relationship building,” she explains. “At CRB, teachers encouraged us to ask for help, and that made it easier for me to do the same in college.”
At Holy Cross, Nicole discovered her passion for education. Initially considering a career in medicine, her path shifted after she took courses in psychology and education and started volunteering her time with afterschool and mentoring programs. “I always knew I wanted to work with kids,” she says. “Teaching allowed me to do that in a meaningful way.”
Today, Nicole is a fourth-grade English Language Arts teacher at UP Academy in Dorchester, bringing that passion into her classroom each day. After earning her master’s in elementary education from Boston College, she is now building her career in education with a focus on both academic growth and student confidence. “I think it’s really important to celebrate students and help them see what they’re capable of,” she says.
Her motivation is deeply personal. Nicole credits her mother as a driving force behind her commitment to education. She immigrated from the Dominican Republic and despite not knowing English, always pushed for Nicole to have the best opportunities. Nicole shares, “Everything I’m working toward is not just for me, but for my family and my community.”
Reflecting on her journey, Nicole also sees how Cristo Rey Boston shaped not only her work ethic, but her sense of purpose. “Everything at CRB connected to real life,” she says. “It helped me figure out who I wanted to be.”
Motivated by her own experiences, she hopes to one day create high-level change in the field of education, advocating for students and working toward greater equity in the classroom. But for now, her focus is simple: continue to grow as a teacher and make a difference in the lives of her students each day.
To the next generation of CRB students, Nicole offers advice that reflects her own journey: “Life isn’t a race. Take in each moment and trust that you’ll end up where you’re meant to be.”