30 Hudson Valley students honored by My Brother's Keeper program for young men of color

Thirty high school students from the Hudson Valley were honored Thursday with induction into New York's fourth class of My Brother's Keeper fellows.

My Brother's Keeper is a national initiative started by President Obama that aims to increase opportunities for boys and young men of color. Education leaders in New York have embraced the initiative since 2016, delivering financial support to community-based MBK programs.

"To the young men that are present, please understand that New York State MBK was created for you," said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester Young to hundreds of students across the state at a virtual symposium Thursday. "That suggests that you are special. That you are somebody. No matter what anyone says, always remember: you are special, and you are something."

The state chose its first class of MBK Fellows in 2018. The program selects 11th-grade students from each of 25 participating school districts, including 12 in the Hudson region. Westchester County in particular has embraced My Brother's Keeper, as all of the county's urban districts have active programs. 

The fellows can lead service projects in their schools and communities, and later pay the experience forward by acting as mentors to younger students.

Greenburgh senior and 2020 MBK Fellow Eren Zulfikar took the virtual stage to share his experience. Zulfikar said that when he moved to Woodlands Middle/High School as a freshman from Yonkers, he was reserved and shy. After two years of participating in MBK programming and mentorship, he was confident enough in his own leadership skills to apply as a fellow.

"My shift in character resulted from the many lessons I learned through my years in MBK, and I am now never afraid to step out of my comfort zone, and I'm always open to experiencing something new," Zulfikar said. "Ultimately, I can see that MBK helped me grow into the young man I've always wanted to be."

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The symposium began with a surprise video message from President Obama himself.

"To the MBK fellows, and all the boys and young men who are here today: Thank you for working hard in school, even when it's on video," he said. "Thank you for helping out around the house, giving back to you communities. It matters, and everything My Brother's Keeper does is about making sure that the effort you're putting in pays off."

The fellows were congratulated by Young, state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. 

Keynote speaker Geoffrey Canada, founder of the education-focused community organization Harlem Children's Zone, told the students how inspired he was that they could see so many state leaders that looked like them.

"When you're as old as I am, you remember when you looked at the leadership, it didn't look anything like this," Canada said.

"We've been at this together for decades, longer than all of you all have been alive, we've been fighting for the rights of our young people," he said. "I'm telling you, when I look at this moment, and I see that Chancellor Young is there, you have no idea how my soul sings with the possibility of what we might do."

Below are the 2021 My Brother’s Keeper fellows from the Hudson Valley

East Ramapo

Julius Nyarko, Ramapo High School

Jeremy White, Spring Valley High School

Greenburgh

Savon Dixon, Woodlands Middle/High School

Glenford Graham Jr., Woodlands Middle/High School

Monticello

Collen Barbato, Monticello High School

Donovan DuBose, Monticello High School

Mount Pleasant Cottage School

Elijah Walker, Mount Pleasant Cottage School

Jean-Ronaldo Jean-Baptiste, Edenwald School

Mount Vernon

John Aden Harvey, Denzel Washington School of the Arts

Deshawn Wallen, Mount Vernon STEAM Academy

New Rochelle

Richie Barajas, New Rochelle High School

Michael Navarro, New Rochelle High School

Miles Renwick-Archibold, New Rochelle High School

Quincy Simmons, New Rochelle High School

Newburgh

Giovahni Jackson, Newburgh Free Academy West

Jacob Lopez, Newburgh Free Academy Main

Daniel Rego, Newburgh Free Academy North

Matthew Worrell, Newburgh Free Academy Main

Ossining

Joash Brown, Ossining High School

John Jarama, Ossining High School

Peekskill

Lamar A. Kingwood, Peekskill High School

Tyler J. Robertson, Peekskill High School

Poughkeepsie

Jayden Chambers, Poughkeepsie High School

Elijah Johnson, Poughkeepsie High School

White Plains

Anthony Espinosa, White Plains High School

Randy Morocho, White Plains High School

Yonkers

Fidel A. Blanco, Lincoln High School

Khristian Crawford, Roosevelt High School

Iandel Jeremy Hernandez Lopez, Roosevelt High School

Marcus J. Walters, Riverside High School

Sophie Grosserode covers education. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter @sdgrosserode.