Giving Back to Ensure Others Have the Same Opportunity to Succeed

The lives of Yolette Ibokette and her daughter, Christa Bercy ’08, changed forever when they joined the Cotting community in the late 1990s. “When I think of my daughter Christa, I categorize her life as ‘before Cotting’ and ‘after Cotting’. Christa has made so many gains because of the school’s exemplary teachers and programming,” she reflects. Inspired by her daughter’s experience, Yolette continues to support Cotting, stating, “I want to make it possible for Cotting to continue to be as instrumental in the lives of current students as they were in Christa’s. I don’t know any other school with such a loving community.”

Cotting’s Continuum of Care has been instrumental to the lives of hundreds of people throughout its long history. The school’s unique programming continues to provide exceptional opportunities for students’ academic and therapeutic success. For Christa, summer sessions played a crucial role in maintaining the strides she’d made during the regular school year. Those gains stretch beyond a student’s time on campus, Yolette explains. “Cotting prepares students in myriad ways to have a successful life when they leave the school.”

As evidenced by Yolette’s and Christa’s strong connection to Cotting over 14 years since graduation, even when a student steps into the next chapter of their life, they remain an integral part of the community.

We are so grateful to our community members who continue to support Cotting. To learn more about the variety of ways to give back, please visit cotting.org.