Stephanie

“Art is a way to capture a moment, an idea, a feeling—everything—for as long as possible,” Stephanie wrote in her essay. About the canvas that is her life, she says, “My future is still being painted, drawn, inked out with every step I take.” 

Stephanie has been painting her future with the help of Publicolor, an innovative nonprofit program that uses painting to empower students who are experiencing life’s challenges. She participates in projects that have put vibrant, original artwork on the walls of hundreds of under-resourced public schools and neglected community sites. Or as Stephanie describes them, “public places that need some love, some art.”

She has also been active at school, including in the student council. An honor roll student, she has completed more than 150 hours of community service, doing so while experiencing  “countless challenges,” her teacher wrote. He calls Stephanie “a survivor and an achiever rolled into one,” while her guidance counselor describes her as a young woman with a “great personality” who is “very humble, engaging and open-minded.”  

“She had to navigate family court by herself” in order to obtain basic documents, her teacher wrote. “Facing the bureaucracy of New York City Records, I’m certain she can handle the life of an undergraduate. She has the focus, has the ability to handle the pressure, and has the drive to succeed. She only needs the opportunity. She is more than worthy of just that.”

Stephanie wants to study business and finance management.

The teacher/mentor that has made the greatest difference in my life is Jason Zanitsch, my English teacher.  He has pushed my creativity in my writing skills, and he stepped in as my advisor, club manager and teacher. He helped stabilize my environment and go for what I deserve in life.