Person of the year 2024

Dr. Leslie Ribeiro Vicente was born in San Diego, California, but grew up on the island of Pico, Azores, until she moved with her family to New Bedford at the age of 12.
From a young age, she was immersed in Portuguese traditions and culture, which shaped her enduring commitment to her heritage, promotion of the Portuguese language and culture, and immigrant advancement.
She graduated from New Bedford High School before earning a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Public Policy from UMass Dartmouth.
She has been a long-life educator.
She taught U.S. Citizenship Preparation classes for Catholic Social Services before teaching Portuguese-language classes for Catholic schools in the Fall River Diocese.
Her path eventually led her to the Discovery Language Academy (DLA), where she has been the executive director since 2016.
In that capacity, she has been instrumental along with the Board of Directors to revise the vision and mission of the school to reflect 21st-century needs, paving the way for more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environments, while capitalizing on technology to enhance learning and teaching experiences.
The renaissance of the school was accomplished with elevated professional standards and instruction, and consequently, the student enrollment, which had been dwindling, greatly flourished.
Under her leadership, the school not only increased enrollment by 465 percent, but also introduced classes for adults and expanded learning opportunities in the areas of language acquisition, cultural understanding, and career education to help individuals achieve personal, professional, and vocational goals.
Currently, the school not only offers Portuguese-language classes suitable for people of all ages — from beginning to advanced levels — but also English-as-a-Second-Language classes, Spanish-language classes, and Portuguese Citizenship Readiness tutoring. In addition, U.S. Citizenship Preparation classes will begin soon.
During the summer, the school also provides an ‘Art, Language, and Culture Summer Program’ to offer children Portuguese-language learning opportunities and a wide spectrum of free and low-cost activities, including field trips, arts and crafts, and cultural and educational activities, among others.
Under her guidance, DLA established HUB 128, a collaborative working space for organizations, private groups, and students with the support of MassDevelopment, Bridgewater State University, and the DeMello International Center.
In 2018, she also helped develop a partnership between the DeMello International Center and Lesley University to create a new program for the Greater New Bedford area in educational programming, to elevate the educational and workforce opportunities for adult learners in the community to challenge the status quo and ultimately to improve the future for all children.
Presently, she teaches a Portuguese-language class at Lesley University.
But her love and commitment to the community does not end there.
She will serve on the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School ESL Advisory Board and is the vice-president of the Casa dos Açores da Nova Inglaterra General Assembly. She is a past member of UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture Advisory Board and the Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford Advisory Board.
In 2023, she ran for the Council of the Portuguese Communities (CCP) as part of list B, which won the race and successfully elected two members to the Portuguese Government’s advisory board for policies relating to Portuguese communities abroad.
Her commitment and efforts have not gone unnoticed.
The Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) has decided to present its 2024 Education Leadership Award to Discovery Language Academy.
She currently resides in New Bedford with her partner Joseph Brizida. She is the mother of Sasha, Tyler, Lucas, and Joey, who she considers her biggest achievement.