![Dinora Torres and children]( "Dinora Torres and children")
WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (June 11, 2020) — MassBay Community College Accounting student, Dinora Torres of Milford, MA has been selected to sing the national anthem for the College’s 58th virtual commencement ceremony on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 6pm.
Torres is a first-generation college student and a mother to four daughters — six-year-old Faith, five-year-old Hope, and three-year-old twins, Alana and Davina, and a stepmother to another four daughters — Alexa, Amaiyha, Yalianesse, and Joslin. Torres had put college on hold to care for her eldest child who was born with multiple disabilities, but saw how driven her daughter was to prove to doctors that the impossible would be possible, and it motivated her to go to college to reach her “impossible” goal. She currently attends MassBay as a full-time student while working a full-time job as a teacher’s assistant at a daycare center. Torres will continue her education under the Commonwealth’s MassTransfer program to pursuit her bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
“For me, it is an honor to sing the national anthem because not only do I have many family members who serve in different military branches of our armed forces, but as a child, I always wanted to be that special person to be picked to sing a song for America,” said Torres. “I want to show everyone how proud I am to be in a country that provides many gateways and opportunities for all, especially for Hispanic mothers and women of color. I go to school to show my daughters no matter where you are in life, if you work hard for it, you can earn it. Singing the national anthem to the graduating class of 2020 at MassBay is a great blessing and I can’t wait to share that moment with all the graduates.”
To learn more about MassBay visit www.massbay.edu
MassBay Community College is ranked by the Brookings Institution as one of the top schools for value added and earned salaries in the workforce. Ranked #1 for two-year colleges in Massachusetts, #2 in New England, and #16 nationally. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham, and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded lifelong learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.