Eric Sterling, a teacher at the Andrews-Trahey School on Hillside’s Monroe Campus, was honored in February with the coveted Golden Apple Award by Rochester’s WROC-TV news team. The award, presented weekly, salutes excellence in the region’s teaching community.

An 18-year Hillside veteran who teaches mathematics to students in grades 4 through 12, Sterling was surprised by a February 4 visit from WROC to his classroom that had been arranged in advance once his nomination had been selected. In remarks to the news crew, he praised the “family environment” that makes being a Hillside teacher so enjoyable. He said the best parts of his job are “getting to know the students and building relationships,” and he thanked his students and colleagues “for making Hillside such a great place to be.”

Sterling’s Golden Apple nomination, prepared by his colleagues, described him as “an experienced educator, a life-long learner, and a team player. His knowledge of elementary and secondary education, curriculum, childhood development, learning characteristics of children and educational disabilities make him an asset to our school.”

The nomination continued: “Eric has dedicated endless hours outside of school to meet with and mentor less tenured staff. He creates engaging content to help students prepare and feel confident about the work they are doing and shares that work with his peers. Eric has always been able to differentiate his instruction and create learning opportunities to engage all students academically and socially.

“Eric is a professional who takes the time to listen, evaluate, and brainstorm. He is collaborative and has demonstrated this through his work with teachers, staff and students.”

Hillside’s array of services include five 853 schools that each deliver a NYSED-certified curriculum for youth in residential or day-treatment settings. In addition to the Andrews-Trahey School on the Monroe Campus in Rochester, Hillside schools are located on the agency’s other residential campuses in Chili, Bath and Auburn; and at the Halpern Education Center, a day-treatment site in Webster.

When he walked across the stage to receive his diploma with Edison Career & Technology High School’s Class of 2016, Jose Laracuente was the first member of his family to graduate high school. And today, he’s also the first Laracuente to walk down fashion-show runways as a professional model.

“I love fashion. I always have,” Laracuente says. “In my yearbook there were pictures of me, always with a tie or with something dressy. Even then, I think I knew what I was meant to do.”

Originally from Puerto Rico, Laracuente relocated as a child with his family to New York City and eventually Rochester. While at Edison Tech, he found critical support from Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection—and from Brenda Ortiz, his HWSC Youth Advocate.

“Hillside was such a help,” he recalls. “There was a point when I wanted to give up and work—to help my family, you know? But Brenda motivated me to keep going. She told me I had to push myself to the max. She didn’t give up on me, and I didn’t give up on myself.”

Today, the 27-year-old lives in New Jersey while working in New York as a model and actor—from international runway shows and print advertising jobs, to appearances on shows like “Power Book III: Raising Kanan”—while also teaching classes for aspiring models.

“Education is so important to everything in life,” he says—a lesson he imparts to his students. “If you want to be a model, that’s wonderful, but you won’t be a model for the rest of your life. You have to learn more to have more opportunities.”

Recently, Laracuente returned to Rochester to present a weeklong Fashion Boot Camp to current HWSC students (pictured above), part of the program’s annual Summer Academy activities. Participants learned model walks and poses, as well as how to prepare self-promotional materials that are critical to success in the fashion industry. The week ended with a fashion show where the students displayed what they had learned—including a newfound sense of confidence.

“Not all of them may get into modeling or fashion as a career, but that’s OK,” Laracuente says. “The most important lesson I wanted to teach them was to be confident about who they are—that they’re beautiful, inside and out.”

Laracuente says the most valuable skill he’s developed is motivation—a trait he says owes much to his experience in the HWSC program. “It takes a lot of dedication and passion to do this. When I have doubts, I remind myself of who I am. It gives me strength.”

“He learned so much as a student, and he’s carried on what he learned with us into adulthood, and into his career,” says YA Brenda Ortiz. “I’m so proud of him.”

Your gift today makes HWSC and other Hillside programs possible. Please give generously!

Each year, we profile the winner of the Hillside Chair’s Award, an honor earned by an employee whose above-and-beyond dedication and impact exemplify the principles of Hillside’s mission of service.

Like a lot of young people, Keyonne Teagle had dreams of a successful career as a professional athlete—but unlike many kids, he also had the skills, drive and early college successes to suggest those dreams were attainable.

“I had a touch of the glory of basketball and got to enjoy it,” he recalls. “My goal was to make a living at it, and I was doing well … but I got injured three times. It wasn’t my thing, I guess.”

His last injury forced Teagle to seek another calling, and he found it in helping others. In 2002 the Queens, NY, native relocated to Rochester, and since 2004 he’s been an enthusiastic member of the Hillside team—including working for the past 13 years as a Youth Advocate for Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HWSC).

Teagle’s consistent dedication has instilled him in a sense of purpose, and helped him make a difference in countless young lives. “It builds me up, coming to work and seeing the kids, helping them rectify the problems that they face and giving advice they can carry into the community,” he says. “And when they tell me ‘Thank you. I needed to hear that,’ that helps me along the way.”

Among the many dividends of his long Hillside history has been seeing the longer-term results of his commitment to vulnerable youth. Teagle recalls a student who graduated high school with a full scholarship to study law, and another who eventually became an accountant. The latter alumnus later returned to share life lessons with Teagle’s current students at Greece Athena High School. “They’re doing big things in life. Those are the success stories. I’m so proud of them.”

Teagle gives credit for his longevity to his peers and the current and past supervisors who have provided support and guidance. “I always want to elevate my skillset—every day, I try to do better and be better, and never sell myself short. These young men and women need that from us.

“But you’d be surprised what the kids can teach you, too,” he adds. “These students are phenomenal. I’m so privileged to be a part of their lives. And I owe it to Hillside.”

Keyonne Teagle is pictured above with Jill Knittel, Past Chair, Hillside Board of Governors; and Maria Cristalli, Hillside President & CEO.

Click here to listen to Maria Cristalli and Keyonne Teagle in a recent “Conversations with the CEO” podcast. 

Community support keeps #HillsideStrong! Please make a donation today.

Hillside teams were among the organizations earning honors in the 2023 Greater Rochester Quality Council (GRQC) Performance Excellence Awards. The annual ceremony was held Wednesday, October 11, at Locust Hill Country Club in Rochester.

The agency was lauded with two Gold Awards for Team Excellence: for the project “Improving Program Scorecard Process,” led by Jeremy Webster (pictured, left), Manager of Therapuetic Foster Care services in Hillside’s Central New York Region; and for the project “Improving Compliance with EMR Security Audits,” led by Sharon Gruttadauro, Quality Manager for Hillside’s Quality and Risk Management team.

The GRQC Performance Excellence Award Program helps organizations in all sectors of the economy gain valuable insights into strategic areas of their operations, connect with like-minded leaders in high performing organizations, and earn formal recognition for achieving excellence through continuous improvement methodologies.

In addition to Team Excellence, awards are also presented in the categories of Organizational Excellence and Customer Experience.

“Greater Rochester Quality Council is a champion for the highest standards of operational quality and process improvement that can benefit any organization,” said Darlene Ryan, Hillside’s Chief Performance Officer. “A GRQC award is a significant honor, and we’re delighted to see our teams recognized with two such awards this year. Our commitment to continuous improvement helps ensure that Hillside delivers programs of the highest possible quality to those we serve.”

Community support keeps Hillside Strong! Your donations help us remain innovative to better serve youth and families. Donate to Hillside today.

More than 60 years ago, Richard Jackson’s time as a youth in Hillside programs made a profound impact on his future. In June 2023, he returned to Hillside to share his story with current youth in care, as well as staff and the community at large, in a two-day “Hillside Homecoming” tour filled with fresh connections and memories both old and new.

To begin his Homecoming, Jackson, 79, revisited the Ely Cottage on Hillside’s Monroe Campus where he had lived as a teen in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During a campus tour later that day, he learned more about the evolution of Hillside’s residential treatment and community-based services that deliver youth-guided, family-driven care to thousands of young people and their families every year.

With President & CEO Maria Cristalli, he engaged in a virtual staff meeting so Hillside employees from all locations could ask questions and hear his first-person perspective on Hillside’s legacy of service.

Jackson’s memoir Ward of the Court looks back on his origins in Rochester, and his subsequent life and career in human services and politics in rural Kansas. During his Hillside Homecoming, that story was the topic of an hourlong discussion on WXXI-AM radio’s Connections with Evan Dawson, during which he and Cristalli talked about the intersections between Jackson’s life, Hillside’s 186-year mission-driven history, and the ongoing need for Hillside services.

During a pizza party with youth in Hillside programs, he talked with young people about their own experiences and how life can take unexpected turns. “Life is a series of choices, and we must embrace and take responsibility for the choices we make. Accepting help from others is not a sign of weakness, but a demonstration of strength.”

The following day, Jackson was one of two keynote speakers at a special donor event. He challenged the attendees to continue supporting Hillside services: “With increased resources, Hillside can extend its reach and touch the lives of even more individuals. I implore you to embrace the opportunity to become true difference-makers, and together, let us shape a brighter future for those in need.”

He was joined at the event by Casanova Burgos, another former youth in care who described his own traumatic experiences as a teen, and how the Youth Advocates of Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection provided support that allowed him to regain his life’s momentum. “Hillside provided the foundation I needed when all seemed to be lost…. When I was unsure of what to do, they stuck by me. If it weren’t for their support, I really don’t think I would have graduated high school,” Burgos said. He went on to praise Hillside for preventing “countless numbers of youth from choosing the streets as a way of life with little to no hope.”

The donor event was made possible in part by a generous gift from The Bonadio Group. Hillside is grateful for that gift, and to all who attended to offer their support for Hillside services. And we’re so thankful to Richard Jackson and Casanova Burgos for sharing their stories!

Supporting Hillside’s mission makes you a partner in our work. Please consider making a donation to Hillside today!

Wilfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez says that for him, “the fire of writing started burning in third grade.” Over the years, that fire has blazed to include not only being a published author, but also instilling a love of reading and writing in his students at Hillside’s Halpern Education Center.

Hillside’s school system is comprised of five schools—on each of the agency’s four residential campuses, and at Halpern, which provides a NYS-certified curriculum interwoven with Day Treatment services to students in need. Gonzalez has worked at Halpern for almost 20 years as a teaching assistant and substitute teacher.

“Time has flown by,” he says. “But there are so many rewards in working with these young people, and being able to see them grow. Once I got to Halpern, there was no turning back for me.”

When he’s not teaching, Gonzalez is often hard at work pursuing his other passion. He’s published six books for younger readers, including slim and colorfully illustrated chapter books as well as young-adult fiction. His latest, the YA novel Clay Hats, earned the “Readers’ Favorite Five Star Seal” from Goodreads Review and a rave: “Wilfredo Gonzalez forces us to look closely at the often-frayed thread that binds and holds a community together.”

When the agency-wide Hillside Reads literacy initiative kicked off earlier this year, the Halpern community created a unique event that celebrated all forms of the written word. At that event, Gonzalez signed copies of his books and talked to students about his own passion for writing.

“I don’t talk much about that part of my life here, so it came as a surprise to some of the kids,” he says. “But a lot of them were so excited to see what I’d written and to be able to take home some of the books to read on their own. It was really rewarding for me, and I was grateful for the opportunity to share this with the students.”

Community support keeps #HillsideStrong. Donate to Hillside today.

This story originally appeared in Hillside’s 2022 Impact Report. Read the complete Report here.

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Hillside’s path forward includes wide-ranging programs and initiatives that are shaping the future of the agency and its role in the communities we serve.

“The needs of youth and families are ever-changing, and Hillside must always grow and develop to meet those needs,” says Maria Cristalli, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The willingness to adapt is what has kept Hillside dynamic and strong for 185 years. It’s exciting to consider what the future will bring—and the many ways in which we’re preparing for that future today.”

Three of these priorities are notable not only for their specifics, but also as examples of larger trends that will continue to evolve in the years to come.

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ADVANCED CARE, IN THE COMMUNITY
The key to Youth ACT is right there in its name: Assertive Community Treatment. The latest Hillside program, launched statewide last year by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), provides intensive community-based services to support youth experiencing severe emotional disturbance—while avoiding the need for out-of-home treatment and other higher levels of care.

Youth ACT is a significant step in the development of programs that de-emphasize the need for residential treatment in the care of youth in crisis. “There will always be a need for some youth to receive treatment in a residential setting, but Youth ACT is designed to reduce that need,” says Elizabeth Nolan, Chief Operating Officer. “It provides many of the same aspects of residential treatment without requiring children to leave their homes and communities. When that’s possible, it’s better for them and for their families.”

“This program has already been a huge success here,” says Patricia Schaap, Deputy Director of Community Services with the Department of Mental Health in Cortland County.

Since the program was launched, Schaap says, youth whose emotional and behavioral issues had previously required “many, many” emergency interventions are now working with their families on stabilization in their homes. “To my knowledge they haven’t been back to the emergency room,” she observes.

Hillside is the only New York State provider authorized by OMH to provide Youth ACT services in three regions: Monroe County; Cortland and Chenango counties; and Steuben and Chemung counties.

“Our partnership with Hillside has been invaluable in Cortland County,” Schaap adds. “The team is doing wonderful work.”

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THE DE&I COMMITMENT
Beyond programmatic changes, a more fundamental shift is also occurring at Hillside. In recent years, initiatives dedicated to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) have enhanced the agency as a service provider, a community partner, and one of New York State’s largest employers.

“These issues can’t be ignored in today’s society,” says Howard Cotton, interim Director of DE&I. “They’re deeply relevant to Hillside’s work, and to achieving the best possible outcomes with those we serve.”

Today, Hillside’s regional DE&I committees hold monthly talks on topics including systemic racism, white fragility and how issues of race can impact service delivery. An executive council assesses their recommendations while setting an agency-wide DE&I agenda. Affinity groups meet regularly to share unique perspectives among Hillside’s men and women of color. Trainings from internal leaders and visiting speakers further expand staff awareness of vital issues; and a leadership development program is fostering advancement among employees of color.

External partnerships are another focus. By engaging in regional conferences and seminars and participating in Pride events, staff and leaders strengthen community connections and affirm Hillside’s role as a champion of issues related to DE&I.

Monica Monte, a member of the Hillside Board of Governors and a partner with True Insights Consulting, which advises companies nationally on DE&I strategies, praises Hillside’s “authentic commitment.”

“They’re putting things into action and ensuring teams feel engaged and empowered, even when that’s not always the simplest path,” Monte says. “Hillside has intentionality. That is essential to achieving results.”

Cristalli notes that Hillside’s DE&I goals are aligned and integrated into Hillside’s strategy. “In partnership with our staff, families and community organizations, we are taking concrete steps to create more equitable futures for those we serve. As an organization, we celebrate our progress and recognize much more needs to be done.”

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BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the urgency of a specific form of community-facing inequity—and addressing it, Hillside knew, would require significant community support.

During the worst days of the pandemic, as students everywhere were forced to complete their schoolwork remotely, the lack of digital access in many homes created serious concerns. Nationwide, digital inequity disproportionately affects families of color and those who are living in poverty—and Syracuse, where nearly a quarter of residents have no Internet access, is known to be among the hardest-hit American cities in this issue.

At Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection’s Solace Campus in Syracuse, solutions were needed to support participating youth facing this problem. That need continues today, and a $25,000 gift from Northwestern Mutual is helping to upgrade the site’s technology infrastructure and significantly increase digital access at that site.

“A huge number of families have no access to technology that’s really necessary today,” says Paul Dodd, Managing Partner at Northwestern Mutual. “Helping these families can have a major impact in our community.”

More investment is still needed, and Hillside is pursuing additional partnerships in Syracuse and other communities where this and other problems exist. Cindy Odom, Chief Advancement Officer, cites the initiative as an example of the vital role played by philanthropy in making Hillside’s innovative ideas a reality.

“Traditional funding sources just don’t cover investments like this,” Odom says. “We’re grateful to Northwestern Mutual for their support, and we’re eager to develop more partnerships that allow our work to continue.”

Dodd agrees: “More people should know about this issue—it deserves attention from people in a position to help.”

* * *

Robust community support is needed to help these and other Hillside priorities achieve their full potential. Support our mission with a donation to Hillside today.

When she first met Shantavia Newton, Najwa Dennis was an experienced Youth Advocate with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HWSC) at Clary Middle School and Corcoran High School in Syracuse.

Shantavia was finding the transition to Grade 10 difficult: she had recently lost her mother and was adrift both personally and academically. “She looked to me to be there for her along with some of her close family members that provided support,” Dennis recalls. “I encouraged, pushed, praised, and held her accountable for her future. She’s a prime example of what a Hillside Work-Scholarship student can become with hard work.”

Dennis advocated on behalf of Shantavia with teachers, counselors, and her father—while also helping Shantavia understand importance of advocating for herself. As a college graduate role model, the YA led by example, demonstrating that persistence pays off and helping Shantavia envision her own successful future.

“Najwa ensured that I had nothing to worry about,” said Shantavia. “She stepped right in so I didn’t feel such a void.”

Dennis notes how crucial it is for students to know that someone is there for them, “showing you care, you’re consistent, and that you’re ‘cool’ but disciplined.”

Even after graduation, Shantavia remained close with her YA mentor. While a student at Onondaga Community College, she looked to Dennis for help with resume writing, job applications, and interview preparation, all culminating in Shantavia landing a job as she continued her studies.

After graduating from OCC, Shantavia returned to Corcoran High School—as an HWSC Youth Advocate. “I wanted to give back to where I originated, to kids in the same place as I was.” She’d meet students walking in the hall, join them for brunch or lunch in the cafeteria, and do home visits. “These kids really need somebody advocating for them. They need that extra push in the schools and behind the scenes.”

Down the road, one can hope that the legacy of Dennis’ mentorship lives on through another generation of Youth Advocates, thanks to Shantavia’s work through Hillside Work Scholarship Connection.

HWSC and other Hillside programs require philanthropic support to make an impact in the lives of more students and families. Please support our mission—give to Hillside today.