My name is Stella Berfas, I'm 17 years old and a senior at Frank McCourt High School. I live in Harlem on the Upper West Side. In the fall of 2015, I will be attending SUNY Oswego as a Childhood Education major! I'm so excited to see what my future at Oswego holds for me. I cannot believe I am graduating Frank McCourt in a couple of weeks. My time here has been one of the best experiences and I cannot thank the staff of this school enough. They have helped me so much. Knowing my personal struggles when it comes to academics, these teachers always found a way for me to overcome those struggles and always helped me succeed.  Frank McCourt has given me the strength to feel confident about my work even when I feel I haven't done as well as my peers. There were times where I break down feeling stuck and felt like I was the only one who would be confused or not as confident as others. I have been reminded so many times that all students learn differently and can achieve anything. I definitely make sure that advice sticks in my head in college.

The time has come for me to leave this amazing school but never will I forget the amazing high school experience I have had here at Frank McCourt.