Frances Harris started Sac High in 2003 as a freshman and was part of the first class that graduated from Sac High as a public charter school. She is a second-generation Sac High student and lived right down the street from the school. Throughout her four years of high school, Frances was very involved in school activities and played basketball and soccer.

Frances attended UCLA and received her undergraduate degree in English. The transition from high school to university-level academics can often be daunting but Frances said that Sac High gave her the tools to seek out answers, resources, and people to help her. She developed courage through her time at Sac High to talk to the professors when she needed help. Frances said St. HOPE Public Schools helped her develop a “no turning back” mentality. There was no challenge too tough, and nothing would make her quit. If things weren’t going her way, she had her St. HOPE resources to support her.

After graduating from UCLA, Frances went onto Long Island University in Brooklyn for graduate school where she studied special education and worked as a special ed teacher while earning her degree.Now, she wears many hats working part-time as a DJ, doing project management for the United Way’s Choose Healthy Life program, and as a substitute teacher at Young Women’s Leadership School of Brooklyn.  

Frances’ time as a substitute teacher at different schools has shaped her perspective of the education system as a whole. With this knowledge, she reflects on her time at St. HOPE Public Schools and says the strong community driven support scholars received at Sac High encouraged them to do their best. 

Many of her classmates’ parents attended Sac High so there was generational history which fostered strong school spirit. Alumni attended games which made the players want to perform even better and the community was heavily invested in the success of the students and St. HOPE Public Schools. Frances is proud to have graduated from Sac High and says that the good she put into the school came back to her.