Brookline High Teacher Throws First Pitch At Fenway Park

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline High teacher Joslyn Vendola was selected to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park at the Sept. 8 Red Sox game against the Tampa Bay Rays. .

Vendola was given the opportunity to open a Red Sox game after being chosen as the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll program’s Most Valuable Educator, which highlights educators making a difference in local communities.

"It was pretty amazing," said Vendola. "It was a beautiful night and I got to have family, colleagues, and friends come and watch. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

A special education teacher in the ExCEL program at Brookline High School for the last 14 years, Vendola is committed to teaching valuable life skills such as how to open and manage a bank account and file taxes.

This year, Vendola also started the "Connections Program" to increase engagement for school-avoidant students through incentives and activities that help off-set the impacts of remote learning and helped create and run food drives for Brookline families at the start of the pandemic.

"It's important always to recognize educators because educators work really hard," she said. "We do it because we care a lot about our students. As the pandemic started, it became even more apparent how hard educators work and how much time and effort they are putting in."

Throughout the pandemic, Vendola has made sure her students are safe and cared for both in and outside of the classroom. When one of her students lost their bedroom to bed bugs, Vendola started a fundraiser for new mattresses. When that same family suffered an unexpected death, she raised over $20,000 to help cover funeral expenses.

"The best way we are going to get through this is as a community on the same team with the goal of having a great school year," she said. "It's even more amazing and wonderful and awesome that teachers are getting recognized in this way."

For more information on the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll program’s Most Valuable Educator, click here. Tickets for the inaugural “Fenway Bowl,” an annual college football bowl game at Fenway Park, are now on sale to the public here.