For a Florida teen catching up on missed moments, a night in the spotlight

When Bella enrolled in August, she had been out of school for more than five years — had not finished fifth grade.

She has only been at Pace Pinellas for seven months but quickly impressed the teachers, who worked with her individually. Counselors helped her process what had happened with her mom.

Now, she’s almost caught up to where she should be: 10th grade. And, for the first time in forever, she has friends.

Meet Bella and hear her inspiring story reported by the Tampa Bay Times.