Stephanie Bordeaux

Stephanie, 19, recently received her diploma through ABCD University High School (UHS), an alternative education program located in downtown Boston.

Born in Haiti, Stephanie moved to the United States with her family when she was five years old. She generally did well in school, but her grades fell dramatically in high school when she became distracted with issues at home. Faced with failing grades, her guidance counselor referred her to UHS. The one-on-one attention Stephanie received in the small program helped her focus and get on track. She appreciated the family environment and that she met “other students who had gone through similar experiences.”

Stephanie’s challenge was to improve her attendance and show up every day so that she could complete the credits she needed to graduate. Finding the motivation was hard at first but the UHS counselors were very helpful – “They were like family. I can go to them when I have problems, even things at home.” She credits these relationships with helping her find the motivation she needed to stick with the program and take advantage of the many opportunities it afforded. She hopes other struggling students “don’t listen to people who say negative things. If you repeat a class, don’t feel ashamed. Still continue.” She feels there is generally a reason why students have to repeat a class so people should not automatically pass judgment.

Stephanie was exposed to many other opportunities through University High’s network of partners. Weekly school meetings included guest speakers from businesses and colleges that exposed her to new opportunities she had not considered. In addition, she completed after-school career exploration programs in financial services and web design through ABCD Career Explorations, a partner program. She loved the fieldtrips and exposure she received in these programs since she “now has an early start on networking”.

These experiences prepared her to successfully complete a summer internship at the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail in their Corporate Offices. Reflecting on her internship experience, "I was exposed to many different things that I wouldn't have normally. The staff at MBCR treated me like a co-worker. My favorite thing was when they would take us on the rails on Wednesdays to show us different parts of the company. We even went to Providence. I learned a lot!"

She continues to work with her case manager after her summer internship and was connected with a dual enrollment program at Roxbury Community College. Her goal is to finish high school and go to college to study business. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and plans to own her own business someday.

Click here for more information about University High School.