Our Success Stories

My name is Angela Staton. I have been attending the Cornerstone Learning Center since the sixth grade. That’s seven years, which makes me a veteran. My experiences at Cornerstone have been very helpful and beneficial. Cornerstone has provided me with plentiful opportunities inside and outside of the program. I was provided with tutoring, various clubs and activities, and the summer day camp program which provided me with a place to go in the summer for six weeks and have fun but also learn at the same time. On top of the opportunities Cornerstone offered I was also recommended to the Henry Street Settlement for a SAT prep course which was very helpful. There are many things about Cornerstone that I will miss very dearly such as the director Linda Watrous. I am very thankful to have come in contact with such a wonderful, loving person. She is what I will miss most about Cornerstone. Other things that I will miss about Cornerstone are the environment where I was able to meet different kinds of people and form relationships with them.

Another thing I will miss about Cornerstone is the Bridge program. This program was very helpful for a high school student such as myself. This program was held every week and it provided us with various topics that myself and other students may be curious about, such as sex, etc. This program also taught us things about being responsible such as setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. They also prepared us for college whether we were a senior or a freshman in high school we got the same treatment. Another thing the Bridge program offers is the opportunity to go on a college tour to various colleges in the south for one whole week. This was a great opportunity. If you were a senior while attending this trip you could take a trip to the Admission Office and if you had your official high school transcript and your letters of recommendation, you could be accepted on the spot. This trip was amazing. Each year I attended I got a different experience.

This is a bittersweet goodbye as I close one chapter in my life and open another one. Cornerstone will not be forgotten — they will always be in my heart.

Angela - June 2008

UPDATE – Fall 2009

Angela is now a sophomore at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., a school she visited on our College Tour. She was elected to the Honor Society in her freshman year, and is a Pre-Med major.

My past experience at the Cornerstone Learning Center was a very fun memory and something I will never forget. I’ve been attending Cornerstone since I was in the sixth grade, now I am in the twelfth. So that’s really my whole teenage life that I was attending Cornerstone. I had a chance to meet new people and learn new things. This program helped me grow and so far succeed in life as a person. There were always things to do such as the Hip Hop program which was my favorite. We went on field trips and sometimes went out to eat and I will never forget about the Bridge program. The only thing I have to say is "College Tour".

For my future I will miss attending Cornerstone since I am graduating. So I will like to thank the Cornerstone Learning Center for opening my mind for me to explore new things. They are helping me make a decision on college. I will always keep Cornerstone in my mind when I am in college because they helped me get there.

Mike - June 2008

UPDATE – Fall 2009

Michael decided to stay in New York City for college, and is attending Borough of Manhattan Community College.