Rachel struggled with crippling anxiety, which came to a head in 2012. She had always been a straight A student, however, her worsening social anxiety, general anxiety and panic attacks led to her eventual diagnosis – Rachel had Asperger syndrome. When she arrived at Westbrook, it was hard for Rachel to imagine becoming the college student she is today. “When I first got to Westbrook, I couldn’t even say the word college without getting nauseous,” she recalls.
Rachel enrolled in Westbrook in May 2012. She says, “Attending Westbrook was the first time I felt comfortable with other kids.” Transferring from a school with 1,200 students to Westbrook, with a student body of 24, surely played a role in her transformation, but it was much more than that.
“My anxiety went down so much. The other students understood me because they were going through a lot of the same things. I also had a great therapist, Suzy. There was always someone I could talk to at Westbrook,” says Rachel.
Rachel went on to attend Landmark College in Vermont. She has access to vocational, therapeutic and academic supports and she draws upon the coping techniques she learned at Westbrook whenever issues arise. Rachel studied liberal arts and hopes to attend law school.
I first came to know SCO twenty-five years ago. I was almost 19 at the time and I was organizing a Toy Drive with my church. I can still remember delivering the toys on a Sunday evening and getting to meet the children at the Robert J. McMahon Children’s Center. I remember being greeted with smiles and hugs from the kids. After that visit I knew immediately that I wanted to share my time and volunteer.
Why I support SCO
I love working with the children and helping make their holidays and graduations special…cooking Thanksgiving dinner, helping out at the Halloween parade, seeing them beam with pride at their graduation. I also know that I am making a difference by helping provide college packs for SCO kids going off to college and buying Christmas gifts for families in need.
What I love about SCO
As much as things have changed over the years, I know I can still walk into the Robert J. McMahon Children’s Center and be greeted with a smile and a hug! Some things never change.
“Attending Westbrook was the first time I felt comfortable with other kids.” Learn More
"I love working with the children and helping make their holidays and graduations special." Learn More
90%
of residents in our NYC shelters were successfully discharged to stable housing
We provide
14,000
families and individuals with support services and community activities