Perkins Night at the Boston Celtics

Perkins Secondary School Chorus appears on the jumbo screen before the Celtics game.

Wednesday, February 3, was Perkins Night at the Celtics. A hush came over the thousands of avid Boston Celtics fans at the TD Banknorth Garden as Perkins students took the parquet floor to sing a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

A performance by the chorus was followed by the "Hero Among Us" presentation, honoring Perkins alumna Janet LaBreck, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Comission for the Blind. Established as an initiative of the Boston Celtics in 1997, Heroes Among Us honors individuals who have made an overwhelming impact on the lives of others.

Janet LaBreck accepts the "Hero Among Us" award.

Janet LaBreck: Leading by Example

Janet LaBreck was diagnosed as legally blind as a young child and attended Perkins Lower School. She was the first member of her family to attend college. Armed with a degree in rehabilitation counseling, she followed her own path.

“I always knew that I wanted to be able to work professionally with other individuals who were also blind,” says LaBreck, who follows in the footsteps of another Perkins student, Helen Keller, who helped establish the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind in 1906. As the current Commissioner, LaBreck represents 35,000 citizens of the Commonwealth who are legally blind. 

Under her leadership, MCB's award-winning internship program accomplished an 80% successful employment rate, exceeding the national employment rate for individuals with disabilities. LaBreck attributes her agency’s national success to public/private partnerships with state agencies, over 100 Commonwealth employers, MCB consumers and MCB team members who are committed to preparing motivated individuals who happen to be blind to become future leaders in the work place.

Every day, LaBreck inspires young people by her own example. In her commencement address at Perkins' graduating Class of 2008, she defined success as “giving 100%” and “the fact that you’re not giving up” on the way to making achievements.