Bronx educators have history with each other, the Bronx Times

Bronx educators have history with each other, the Bronx Times|Bronx educators have history with each other, the Bronx Times|Bronx educators have history with each other, the Bronx Times
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Frias|Photo courtesy of Stephanie Frias|Photo courtesy of Stephanie Frias

One Bronx educator who made headlines in 1999 is still doing so in 2019 through her commitment to open a classical tradition charter school in the Bronx.

The Bronx Times featured Stephanie Saroki de Garcia for her generous and outstanding work with the South Bronx Educational Foundation, twenty years ago.

She was prominently featured on one of the paper’s August covers while helping a young girl in the foundation’s summer program named Stephanie Frias with some schoolwork two deacades ago.

“The paper’s front page is still hanging on my wall,” Saroki de Garcia said.

Since that time, she continued her educational journey, graduating Harvard and going on to open Brilla Public Charter Schools in Mott Haven in an effort to “help kids grow in good character” through virtuous teaching.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Frias

More specifically, they are three K-8 schools that keep in the classical tradition, helping students to grow intellectually, socially, and physically into young men and women of good character and spirit to be prepared for in high school, college and even beyond.

And as fate would have it, one of Brilla’s newest employees is that same girl that Saroki de Garcia was photographed helping, Stephanie Frias.

“She has such great character,” Saroki de Garcia said about her old pupil, mentioning how the summer they met was a major impact on her future decisions in the world of education.

Now the duo work together for Brilla along with other colleagues to shine light on the south Bronx through education while also planning a more northward expansion.

Congrats Stephanie and Stephanie – good luck in your future educational pursuits, and welcome back to the Bronx Times!

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Frias