Mariel, at Nobles

It’s been 12 years since Mariel Novas ’00 and her family immigrated toAmerica from the Dominican Republic. This fall Mariel will move once again, but this time to Connecticut where her journey as a student at Yale will begin. Although the move is only to a neighboring state, it is filled with as much anticipation and promise as the one she and her family endured over a decade ago.

Providing a life filled with opportunities for their family was her parents’ primary reason for leaving their home in the Dominican Republic. Growing up in Jamaica Plain, Mariel’s life at home and at school revolved almost entirely around her Dominican heritage. As a Steppingstone Scholar, it was the passion for learning that was the common thread she shared with her classmates, whom she describes as “driven, motivated kids from the city who hoped to succeed like I did. The Steppingstone community became my home as I found friends similar to me in heart and mind.”

A graduate of Noble and Greenough School, Mariel served on multiple committees and received many awards including the Nash Prize, given to a student who best demonstrates executive ability, and the Volkmann Medal Award in French. She also served as the president of the Multicultural Student Association. An advocate for social justice issues, for her senior project she conceived and edited a magazine of powerful and moving personal narratives written by students, faculty, and alumni at Nobles.

As for her long-term goals, her passion is her heritage and culture, and her aspiration to be “the Dominican voice in government” may lead her into studying public policy at Yale this fall. Twelve years ago, college was a distant dream; today, it’s Mariel’s reality.