“I could not imagine being who I am at all without that nine-year foundation. I wouldn’t be me without that community.” So says our guest this week.

As we end our first season, we invite you to listen to Angelie Pereyra. She’s currently a sophomore at The Dalton School, continually testing her own limits and reaching for new heights just as she learned in her years at Girls Prep.

Angelie’s story, and indeed her enthusiasm, encapsulates all the stories that we’ve shared over this first season of the podcast. If you’re a parent, we hope you’ll hear in Angelie’s words the words of your child, some day. If you’re an alumna, we hope you hear the exuberant voice of a peer, and a powerful sister in your own journey. And if you’re an educator, we hope you’ll hear in every breath the words Thank You for your continued grace and generosity of experience. It is Angelie’s voice, and all the voices of Girls Prep, that remind us that what we do matters — in school, and far beyond.

“When you’re looking for a school for your kind, you want someplace that will make them the people of tomorrow. I think that’s what Girls Prep does.” We couldn’t say it better, Angelie.

Xianne Berger is in her first year at Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY. Is it hard? Not for Xianne.

She celebrates the challenges of her past, the way her education so far has pushed her, stretched her boundaries as a scholar. Even better, she’s equipped to find her community — her college family — a group of peers dedicated to helping one another find success in their college experience, too.

Xianne joins Samantha Diaz to share how her Girls Prep experience helped her find peace and comfort in challenging situations as she embarks on her college career.

Ariela Seinfeld is off to the Pratt Institute, one of the world’s top ten art and design colleges, right here in Brooklyn. How’d she get there?

First, she found something she loves: Graphic Design. Thanks to her willingness to try new things and face new challenges, she landed in a graphic design class with an internship opportunity that led her right to projects with clients like HBO, Looney Toons, and more. With that real-world experience, she’s ready to say yes to even more new challenges in college.

Ariela joins Samantha Diaz to talk about how her Girls Prep experience helped to shape her own scholarship that serves her today.