2,5 Louise Barias '08 in her chemistry lab at Boston Latin Academy in Dorchester. 18 73 Scholars receiving support services from <strong>Steppingstone</strong> 2 46 Extra days of school logged by each Scholar in <strong>The</strong> <strong>Steppingstone</strong> Academy
4 7New Scholars enrolled in <strong>2012</strong> 8Additional hours of academic work completed by each Scholar in the College Success Academy Petite and soft-spoken, Louise Barias ’08 can charm you with the low-key manner in which she recounts her considerable accomplishments. An honor roll student at Boston Latin Academy, member of the debate team, leader in the Muslim Student Association, and lab assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Louise is not only a Peer Leader with <strong>Steppingstone</strong>, but also a Crimson Scholar at Harvard University, where she has attended summer classes. “It’s been a lot of hard work,” says the 17-year-old South End resident, a steely focus in her eyes. “I wasn’t always sure I was seeing the fruits of my labor, but I can say now the sacrifices have all been worth it.” She hasn’t even graduated high school yet, but Louise knows she’s heading places where too few of her peers will go. “Most of the kids I went to middle school with are now either high school dropouts or have children already,” she points out. “In fact, if it weren’t for <strong>Steppingstone</strong>, I might have gone down the same path. I doubt, for instance, I would have known anything beyond my own neighborhood. And I probably would have ended up in a high school without the resources I needed to succeed.” Instead, this burgeoning young scientist will travel to Costa Rica this summer to volunteer at an orphanage, before applying to large research universities this fall to get her degree in microbiology. She’s already begun visiting college campuses, thanks to the tours <strong>Steppingstone</strong> runs. “My parents never would have been able to take me to the campuses I’ve seen,” Louise notes. With help from <strong>Steppingstone</strong>’s college services, Louise can confidently expect to become the first in her immigrant family to attend college in the fall of 2014. <strong>The</strong> scholarship she won this spring helps assure it. <strong>The</strong> Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship, which <strong>Steppingstone</strong> helped Louise earn, guarantees that up to half the cost of the college of her choice will be covered. Despite everything else she juggles, in what passes for “free time” during her busy junior year, Louise still manages to tutor younger Scholars in <strong>Steppingstone</strong>’s Saturday SMASH program—“because I came to every single SMASH session when I was a young Scholar,” she explains. “And not just for the homework help, but for the community.” Of the many <strong>Steppingstone</strong> services and experiences that have enriched Louise’s life—first, as a Scholar, then as a Peer Leader, tutor, and volunteer—what’s made the biggest difference? “<strong>The</strong> study skills and the Latin I learned at <strong>Steppingstone</strong> really gave me an advantage going into Boston Latin Academy,” she says. “But what’s mattered most is the support I received afterward. I talk to my <strong>Steppingstone</strong> Advisor all the time, and the relationship has really grown over the years. She’s seen me through a lot of things. So, it’s not just the training I got and the classes I attended—although they did make me a more organized and disciplined student—it’s really the people who have carried me since.” 3 Changing Lives, One at a Time 42Hours of tutoring and homework assistance provided by <strong>Steppingstone</strong> <strong>Steppingstone</strong> reaches all over the city of Boston to recruit, select, prepare, and support motivated students. We serve 1,400 Scholars each year. We do it one by one. But the numbers add up.
Change language