Catera Scott was born and raised in the Francisville area of North Philadelphia. Catera says she didn’t have a lot growing up, but she remembers having teachers who cared. Feeling nurtured and challenged, she took advanced classes which contributed to her high school success.

After graduating, Catera decided to attend Spelman College and major in psychology. “I wanted to be at the best historically black college,” she said. They instill an idea within their students that coming to Spelman is a “choice to change the world.” So, when Teach for America came to recruit Spelmanites, it sparked Catera’s interest.

“I wanted to come back to Philly because if I was going to serve anywhere I wanted to serve where I actually came from. It would have been okay if I had to stay in Atlanta, but there was something special about going back to my old stomping grounds,” she said.

Catera was placed at Mastery Charter School’s Harrity Upper campus, a founding teacher in 2010, and has been there ever since. “I love Harrity Upper. Academics are clearly important but the relationships built among staff and students makes it a community.”  Catera stands in front of her 7th grade math class with pride. “I come from where you come from,” she explains. “There’s something really great about being here.”