Connecting with Students
I want to stay in RFL because it teaches me useful life skills and how to hold myself accountable. It also makes the school feel more comfortable and helps me do better emotionally and academically.
In Their Own Words
When asked “where would you be without RFL?”, students responded:
- “I wouldn’t have learned how to control myself in difficult situations.”
- “I would be emotionally closed off. I wouldn’t have anybody to talk to.”
- “I’ve realized that I’m much more confident in asking for help than when I was a freshman.”
- “RFL makes school feel better. When I need help I can get it.”
- “RFL was my second chance.”
100% agree: “I feel like I can go to an RFL staff member if I need academic help.”
82% of students believe their homework completion has improved since joining.
75% of students have gone up an to a more challenging academic level in one or more subjects.
Noteworthy Happenings in 2021-2022
- Three RFL students have been inducted into the National Honor Society.
- Four 2022 graduates will receive renewable college scholarships between $2,500 and $5,000.
- One senior will be attending Lasell University in Newton, MA to study Exercise Science. Her goal is to become an athletic trainer for professional athletes.
- A second senior will be attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to study to be a nurse practitioner.
- A third senior will be attending Fitchburg State University to study Computer Science with a concentration in Computer Animation. His goal is to become a video game designer.
- A fourth senior intends to enroll in the MassBay Community College automotive program at their Ashland campus.
- A fifth senior plans to attend an electrician licensing program through Wayne J. Griffin Electric, Inc. He will be a paid apprentice during the week and will get free coursework towards his licensure on the weekends.
Alumni Spotlight
The program and staff are special and helpful – but when you look at achievements from some of their alums, it offers eye-opening and impressive outcomes that prove the value of individual attention and support.
Because RFL students are part of a supportive community, they are very willing to give back. About 15 alums returned to FHS to share their thoughts and experiences on how to have a successful high school experience with the new rising freshmen in the Resiliency for Life Summer Program. Here are some of their stories:
Jamar P-L (‘16) accepts the Channel 5 A+ Scholarship. He is attending Framingham State University and studying Business with a focus in social media marketing.
“My grades went from D’s to A’s and B’s, I took AP classes, and the program helped me get an internship with State Rep. Chris Walsh. I’m the first in my family to go a 4-year college, and none of this would have happened without Resiliency.”
Nathalia C. (‘10) Appeared on the hit show Project Runway in the fall of 2016 after graduating from Framingham State University and starting her own fashion line, website and blog. In the fall of 2017 she showed her work at the United Nations!
“In middle school, I wasn’t in control of my temper and that led to poor grades, suspensions, and all kinds of trouble. The Resiliency teachers helped me to manage my personal issues and finally I could get the grades I was capable of. They also brought us on a tour of FSU as part of the Senior Seminar and I fell in love with it. Resiliency for Life literally changed my life.”
Rodrigo S. (’10) is a Platform Sales Manager at Oracle. He finished his bachelor’s degree at FSU in just three years while working 40 hours a week at the mall to help pay for college.
Diana B. (08′) served in the US Army in the middle east and is now a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) after being employed as a guard for the MA Department of Corrections. for several years. She took her CNA course while still in high school.
Daisy M. served multiple tours in the Middle East, and after getting married, buying a house, raising two children, and graduating in multiple honor societies from Framingham State University she recently accepted a position in finance at Raytheon.
Luiz F. (’15) attended Wheelock College, then transferred to UMASS Boston where our students and staff ran into him while taking a tour, and now he is attending UMASS Amherst where he is a pre-med student majoring in biology.