Chemi – Grade 5
St. Stephen of Hungary School

The Cardinal's Scholarship Program is designated for students who want to transfer out of public schools in order to take advantage of the opportunity to receive the education and religious and moral training that Catholic schools make possible. "The schoolwork is hard here," Chemi says, "but they explain it to me with more than just words, they give me examples and show me how to learn new things. The public school didn't do that." Setting good examples may not appear on any curriculum, yet this is at the heart of what our schools do for over 33,000 students all across New York City. "Parents who send their children to us are looking for a solid foundation... They realize the importance of character development in the education of the whole person," says St. Stephen of Hungary's principal, Adele Kosinski. "We want the children to develop strong self-esteem. When they feel good about themselves and they're in a caring environment, they're going to succeed academically."

In typically ambitious fashion, Chemi agrees. "I think St. Stephen's should be in the top 100 schools in the world!" she exclaims to a visitor. Her boundless enthusiasm is proof that—even in tough economic times—one resource that's never in short supply at ICSF schools is a sense of opportunity.