Learner Spotlight: Stefania

Stefania is a very shy iLEAD sixth grader. She was diagnosed with selective mutism, a type of anxiety, when she was in kindergarten. For years, she was silent everywhere but home. While other children dreamed of becoming a president, an astronaut, a dancer, a singer, an actor, a designer, an inventor, an architect or an Olympian, Stefania’s dream was to be able to speak to others freely.

When Stefania was first diagnosed with selective mutism she couldn’t talk at all, and as she got older, it took all her strength just to answer yes or no to a question. She couldn’t tell people how she felt so she started putting her thoughts to paper and this is when YouTube came into play! One day, Stefania decided to start a YouTube channel in order to express herself. She wrote numerous skits and scripts for cartoons and sitcoms.

Today, Stefania has two YouTube channels. Her first YouTube channel name is Stefania Lily, and her second channel is strictly cartoons for now.

With her flexible independent study schedule, Stefania has time to write stories and scripts for her shows. She also films and edit episodes. Working on her YouTube channels has helped her overcome selective mutism. She even has time to study ballet, piano and art. When she grows up, Stefania wants to be a writer and a business woman. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her parents and two older brothers.