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.
Former Baseball Hall of Fame Chairman Ed Stack and his wife Chris are in a league of their own when it comes to helping others. Their deep commitment to community is evident through the many charitable, civic, and educational causes they champion. But the Stacks have really stepped up to the plate for SCO Family of Services.
Over the past two decades, Chris and Ed have been intimately involved in advancing our mission to build stronger foundations for New Yorkers. Ed sits on the SCO Board of Directors, serving as Chair from 2007 to 2011. He currently serves as the Board’s Assistant Treasurer, Chair of the Executive Compensation Committee, and sits on several subcommittees. Chris was a long-time volunteer at the Tyree Learning Center, where she lovingly worked with children with developmental disabilities who reside at SCO’s Robert J. McMahon Children’s Center.
In addition to their personal generosity to SCO, the Stacks have helped recruit a strong lineup of supporters. As the retired President and Director of The Clark Estates, Ed was instrumental in securing SCO’s first grant from The Clark Foundation over 30 years ago. Since then, the Foundation continues to fund SCO’s continuum of youth development, academic support, and family counseling programs that provide life-changing opportunities for families in some of New York City’s most at-risk neighborhoods.
“Attending Westbrook was the first time I felt comfortable with other kids.” Learn More
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We inspire
8,200
children and teens through academic, after-school, summer and work readiness programs
We shelter
4,900
youth, adults and children