A Plus: Foxborough High's Sara Scardocci and Grizz

HAVE A BRIEF MIX. BEN: TURNING HER ANXIETY DIAGNOSIS INTO SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP HER SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THIS WEEK’S A PLUS IS WORKING TO BRING THERAPY DOGS INTO FOXBOROUGH SCHOOLS. MARIA: SHE WANTS TO HELP KIDS WHO MIGHT BE SILENTLY STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. OUR ANTOINETTE ANTONIO TAKES US TO FOXBOROUGH HIGH SCHOO >> WE’VE BEEN PARTNERS SINCE OCTOBER. THAT’S WHEN HE CAME TO START STAYING AT MY HOUSE. ANTOINETTE: AND ALREADY, SARA SCARDOCCI AND GRIZZ ARE THE BEST OF FRIENDS. >> HE’S REALLY GOOD ABOUT FIGURING OUT WHEN I’M ANXIOUS AND WHEN I’M NOT. I THINK IT’S SOMETHING THAT IS JUST KIND OF INNATE IN THEM. ANTOINETTE: THE SEVEN-MONTH-OLD GOLDEN RETRIEVER IS STILL A PUPPY, AND STILL IN TRAINING TO BECOME A THERAPY DOG. HE MAY NOT ALWAYS LISTEN, BUT HE MAKES UP FOR IT IN HOW HE COMFORTS 17-YEAR-OLD SARA IN HER TIMES OF NEED. >> I HAVE TROUBLE SOMETIMES DEALING WITH MY EMOTIONS AND I GET VERY STRESSED OUT REALLY EASILY. IN THE BEGINNING OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ANXIETY. ANTOINETTE: SHE’S NOW HOPING TO HELP OTHER KIDS WHO MIGHT BE STRUGGLING TOO. THE GOAL, TO GET GRIZZ IN AS A FULL-TIME THERAPY DOG STARTING HERE AT FOXBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. THE IDEA CAME TO HER AS PART OF AN ASSIGNMENT IN HER ENGLISH CLASS. >> SHE CHOSE A THERAPY DOG, FINDING A WAY TO HELP OUR KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR ANXIETY, AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HELP THEM. >> AND NOW SHE’S ON THIS VERY BIG PROJECT WITH THE DOGS AND I KNOW SHE’S NOT GOING TO LET IT GO UNTIL IT’S SIGN, SEALED, AND DELIVERED. ANTOINETTE: IN ADDITION TO SPEARHEADING THE THERAPY DOG PROGRAM, SARA IS STAYING BUSY ACADEMICALLY. SHE’S IN THE TOP 10 OF HER CLASS AND WORKING TOWARDS GETTING INTO COLLEGE FOR BIO-MEDICAL ENGINEERING. >> I’M TAKING AP PHYSICS, CALCULUS-BASED, AND ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY, AND LAST YEAR I TOOK AP CHEMISTRY AND HONORS PHYSICS. ANTOINETTE: SARA SCARDOCCI, TURNING HER ANXIETY DIAGNOSIS INTO SOMETHING PAW-SITIVE THAT CAN HELP OTHERS. SHE’S THIS WEEK’S A-PLUS. SARA IS CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE FOXBOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT ON CREATING A POLICY THAT WOULD ALLOW GRIZZ OR OTHER THERAPY DOGS TO BE AT THE SCHOOLS. AND SHE’S HOPING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN BY THE TIME SHE GRADUATES THIS YEA