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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 30, 2024
For More Information Contact:

JP O'Hare

(518) 474-1201

Press@nysed.gov

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State Education Department Announces Seventh Class of My Brother’s Keeper Fellows

97 Students from 36 MBK Communities Identified as LeadersÌý

The State Education Department today inducted the seventh class of My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows, consisting of 97 young men of color who are leaders in their schools and communities, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced.ÌýMBK Fellows gain mentor relationship opportunities in government, education, and business. The My Brother’s Keeper initiative helps boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential.Ìý

Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, "New York State My Brother's Keeper is a movement designed to help boys and young men of color stay on track to productive, fulfilling, and civically engaged lives. It addresses the persistent opportunity gaps faced by these boys and young men by providing the opportunities necessary for building leadership and character while strengthening academic learning. I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and their legislative colleagues for their continued support of New York's MBK movement and commitment to creating opportunities for success for all New Yorkers."

Commissioner Rosa said, “To truly achieve equity in education, we must work collectively to break through the barriers that limit the success of our youth. With the growth and continued success of our My Brother’s Keeper initiative, communities across the state are coming together to create and expand opportunities for young people of color. Through years of successful collaboration with the Legislature and Governor, we have been able to secure critical funding to grow our MBK programs and to support boys and young men of color in reaching their full potential.â€Ìý

MBK Community NetworkÌý

To join the NYSMBK Community Network, a school superintendent and local government official must sign a joint letter to the State Education Department indicating their support of, and commitment to, meeting the six MBK National milestones and the six New York State MBK goals. Upon becoming a member of the statewide network, a community gains the support of Â鶹¹ÙÍø's Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement Services to help build a community initiative and develop a local MBK action plan.Ìý

My Brother’s Keeper FellowsÌý

Each of the 97 Fellows will be matched with a mentor from an NYSMBK Community Network partner and given a fellowship opportunity. Each rising senior will also be required to develop and execute a service project related to a NYSMBK initiative, such as: Ìý

  • Ensuring equitable access to high-quality schools and programs;Ìý
  • Expanding prevention, early warning, and intervention services;Ìý
  • Responding to structural and institutional racism; orÌý
  • Engaging families and communities in a trusted and respectful way.Ìý

°Õ³ó±ð approved MBK Community Networks were eligible to apply to the Fellows Program and consist of a partnership between the Office of the Mayor and the School District Superintendent (or the Chancellor in New York City). Additionally, each Community Network must secure a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a local postsecondary education institution, local business, or community-based organization for this program.Ìý

Fellows participated in an induction ceremony today during the 2024 MBK Symposium.ÌýÌý

The 2024 MBK Fellows are:Ìý

MBK Community Fellow School

Albany

Rashad J. Miller

Albany High School

Troy Treece

Albany High School

Arlington

Kwame Asiedu

Arlington High School

Prince Hubbard

Arlington High School

Brentwood

Emanuel Millan

Brentwood High School

Brett Osorio

Brentwood High School

Andres Rodriguez

Brentwood High School

Tristan Velez

Brentwood High School

Buffalo

Damariel Hill

Hutchinson Central Technical High School

Michael R. Hunley, Jr.

Math, Science, Technology Preparatory School

Imire Oakes

Lewis J. Bennett High School

Robert Proctor

Hutchinson Central Technical High School

Dunkirk

Davion Alvalle

Dunkirk Senior High School

Jareese Gaines

Dunkirk Senior High School

East Ramapo

Kristian Nathaniel Argueta

Ramapo High School

Darvin Isias Medina-Aguirre

Ramapo High School

Melvin Quiroa-Barrientos

Spring Valley High School

Emmanuel Faroul

Spring Valley High School

Elmont

Ron Asabor

Elmont Memorial High School

Anthony Zidor

Elmont Memorial High School

Greenburgh

Masai Campbell

Woodlands Middle/High School

Ethan Locke

Woodlands Middle/High School

Hudson

Jared Alert

Hudson High School

Anthony R. Mitchell

Hudson High School

Ithaca

Elijah Blas

Ithaca High School

Etienne Exantus

Ithaca High School

LaFayette

Parker Booth, Jr.

LaFayette Middle High School

Maddox Lazore

LaFayette Middle High School

Lyons

Shavarous Jerarta Wilcher

Lyons Middle/High School

Hayden A. Wright

Lyons Middle/High School

Middletown

Amir Armstrong

Middletown High School

Yeison Cortes, Jr.

Middletown High School

Monticello

Jayden Berrios

Monticello High School

Tafare Smith

Monticello High School

Mount Pleasant Cottage

Ethan Tejada

Edenwald School

Ishmael Williams

Mount Pleasant Cottage School

Mt. Vernon

Demetrius W. Daniels

Rebecca Turner Academy

Mikel A. Williams

Rebecca Turner Academy

New Rochelle

Tajhir Fernand

New Rochelle High School

Aiden Lawrence

New Rochelle High School

Christian Parham-Rhone

New Rochelle High School

Maison M. Smith

New Rochelle High School

Newburgh

Carlos Berrios

Newburgh Free Academy West Campus

Ajay Johnson

Newburgh Free Academy North Campus

Akhiir McNeil

Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus

Jah’Saii Peterson

Newburgh Free Academy West Campus

NYC Bronx

Mathin Achiba

Bronx Center for Science and MathematicsÌý

Nashawn Dobbins

Eagle Academy for Young Men

Saul Mezquita

Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics

David Scullark

P.S. 176X

NYC Brooklyn

Mamadou Ba

James Madison High School

Noel Baggot

Benjamin Banneker High School

Caleb Kelly

Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School

Byrant Monestime

Medgar Evers College Preparatory High School

NYC Manhattan

Maurice Anderson

Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change

Jordan Armstrong

Esperanza Preparatory AcademyÌý

Messiah Craft

The Frederick Douglass Academy

Thomas Overton III

Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change

NYC Queens

Aiden Caviness

Queens Gateway to Health SciencesÌý

Terrence Bess

Channel View School for Research

Jaylon Blair

High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety

Sorin Tatum

Richmond Hill High SchoolÌý

NYC Staten Island

Husam Aiyesh

Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School

Eric Dukes

Curtis High School

Jahson Legrand

Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School

Youssef Othman

College of Staten Island High School for International Studies

Ossining

Khaleel Cadet

Ossining High School

Joel Jennings

Ossining High School

Peekskill

Jericho Davis

Peekskill High School

Tony M. Monchinski

Peekskill High School

Poughkeepsie

Khamari Hardin

Poughkeepsie High School

Isaiah Williams

Poughkeepsie High School

Rochester

Shahmir Ellis

Edison Technical High School

Marcus Freeman

Monroe High School

DaJuan J. Jackson

Edison Technical High School

Styhles McKenzie-Baker

Monroe High School

Roosevelt

Andrew Glasgow II

Roosevelt High School

Felix Peña

Roosevelt High School

Schenectady

Jomar D. Molinari

Schenectady High School

Xavier Vargas

Schenectady High School

Sewanhaka

Braylon Metellus

Sewanhaka High School

Japheth Omezi

Sewanhaka High School

Sodus

JaQuez Davis

Sodus High School

James DeLaRosa

Sodus High School

Syracuse

Heykaw Da

Nottingham High School

Noah Ginty

Henninger High School

Irumva Odrique

Henninger High School

Ty’Lique Williams

Corcoran High School

Uniondale

Jaden Eccleston

Uniondale High School

Aaron Osorio

Uniondale High School

White Plains

Kevin Frazier

White Plains High School

Austin Smith

White Plains High School

Yonkers

Raheem O. Azeez

Barack Obama School for Social Justice

Samuel A. Rodriguez

Lincoln High School

Lenny A. Toribio, Jr.

Roosevelt High School-Early College Studies

Corbin J. Wright

Charles E. Gorton High School

Brooklyn

Zion Griffiths - MBK Fellows Operations Intern

Academy for Conservation and Environment (ACE) High School

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In 2014, former President Barack Obama established the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force at the federal level. The Task Force was an interagency effort focused on closing and eliminating the opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color so that all young people have the chance to reach their full potential. With the adoption of the 2016–17 New York State budget, New York became the first state to accept the President’s challenge and enacted the My Brother’s Keeper initiative into law. The budget included a $20 million investment supporting the initiative to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color. Ìý

TheÌýMBK Fellows Program has inducted a total of 443 Fellows to date. Each is paired with a mentor from a New York State MBK Community Network partner and participates in a fellowship in a local government office, partnering business, or educational institute. Fellows develop service projects beneficial to the schools they attend and the communities they live in. Â鶹¹ÙÍø has awarded over $2.6 million in grant funds to support this program since 2016.Ìý Ìý

Since 2016, Â鶹¹ÙÍø has awarded more than $5.1 million in grant funds to 12 school districts for the MBK Indigenous Education Grant. The program’s goal is to increase the academic achievement and college/career readiness of Native American students, with an emphasis on boys and young men.  Ìý

Also, since 2016, Â鶹¹ÙÍø has awarded more than $45 million in grants to school districts for the MBK Family and Community Engagement Program. These grants support programs to increase the academic achievement and college and career readiness of boys and young men of color while fostering the development of effective relationships with families to promote the success of all students.Ìý

Â鶹¹ÙÍø has awarded $49 million in MBK Challenge Grants to school districts since 2016. The MBK Challenge Grant Program encourages regions and school districts to develop and execute coherent cradle-to-career college strategies.Ìý

More than $27 million in Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) grants have been awarded to 27 colleges and universities since 2016. For the 2022-23 project year TOC II served over 500 students. TOC II projects have graduated over 900 teachers to date. Eligible applicants are New York State public and independent degree-granting colleges and universities with a teacher preparation (undergraduate or graduate) program approved by Â鶹¹ÙÍø.Ìý

Visit the Department’s My Brother’s Keeper website for details on this movement and information on how to , “Changing the Narrative.â€Ìý