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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29, 2021
For More Information Contact:

JP O'Hare

(518) 474-1201

Press@nysed.gov

www.nysed.gov

 

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

73 High School Juniors from 25 School Districts Identified as Leaders

The State Education Department today named the fourth class of My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows who have been identified as leaders in their MBK Communities and who will be provided with mentor relationship opportunities in government, education and business, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced. The 73 Fellows, all high school juniors, represent 25 New York State school districts. The My Brother’s Keeper initiative helps boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential.

“During this time of uncertainty and unrest, the 2021 My Brother’s Keeper Fellows have the opportunity to redefine what is normal and chart their own course as students and citizens of their communities; I urge them to embrace this moment,” Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said. “MBK removes barriers to opportunities and empowers young people of color to affect change through the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion. We will continue to grow this initiative and create a generation of leaders prepared for civic duty and deeply committed to social justice.”

“Many of our Fellows have faced years of educational, social, political and economic challenges,” Commissioner Rosa said. “Through MBK, these remarkable young men are seeing doors open to opportunities that will serve them throughout their lives. The Department is committed to continuing this good work. I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and their colleagues for their continued support of New York’s MBK Program and their commitment to creating opportunities for success for all New Yorkers.”

“Since its inception, New York’s My Brother’s Keeper program has inspired countless young men and touched the lives of many families,” said NYS Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie. “During these unprecedented times, it is a breath of fresh air to take a moment to acknowledge the youth and the greatness they have accomplished, as well as their promising futures. The 2021 My Brother’s Keeper Fellows are a group of resilient young men, who unlike those before them are facing a global pandemic, while navigating the many adversities that come their way. Although we have had to alter how we live, learn, and communicate, this cohort of MBK Fellows have seized the moment. I am immensely proud that I and my Assembly Majority colleagues have championed the My Brother’s Keeper program. Congratulations to you all!”

NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, "I congratulate our newest cohort of MBK fellows, and I am thrilled to see so many promising students from my District. This has been an extremely difficult school year, and our new fellows should be applauded for the adversity they have overcome. MBK will further help remove barriers, while creating opportunities for young men of color to unlock their potential and, through mentorship, learn effective ways to achieve their goals and follow their dreams."    

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

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

In addition, these Fellows will serve on a statewide MBK Fellows Workgroup to provide valuable input on the development and implementation of a statewide MBK Mentoring Network.

The 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, for this program, each Community Network must secure a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a local postsecondary education institution, local business or community-based organization.

2021 Fellows had the opportunity to participate in the virtual Stand and Deliver program and a virtual Induction during the 2021 MBK Symposium.

The 2021 MBK Fellows are:

2021 MBK Fellows
MBK Community 2021 MBK Fellows School

MBK Community

 

2021 MBK Fellows

 

School

Albany

Gideon Goldmann

Albany High School

Albany

Marcus Treece

Albany High School

Brentwood

Joshua Castellanos

Brentwood High School

Brentwood

Juan Delgado

Brentwood High School

Brentwood

Alijah McLeod

Brentwood High School

Brentwood

Angelo Rivera

Brentwood High School

Buffalo

Jaden Coronado

Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts

Buffalo

Prince Mandilou

Riverside High School

Buffalo

Izzah Ringer

East High School

Buffalo

Sadik Sadik

McKinley High School

East Ramapo

Julius Nyarko

East Ramapo High School

East Ramapo

Jeremy White

Spring Valley High School

Greenburgh

Savon Dixon

Woodlands Middle/High School

Greenburgh

Glenford Graham, Jr.

Woodlands Middle/High School

Hudson

Lebron Frazier

Hudson High School

Hudson

Isaiah Maines

Hudson High School

Ithaca

Khyrihan Johnson

Ithaca High School

Ithaca

Sai’d Galloway

Ithaca High School

Lyons

Jaylen Battle

Lyons Middle/High School

Lyons

Quintin Franklin

Lyons Middle/High School

Monticello

Collen Barbato

Monticello High School

Monticello

Donovan DuBose

Monticello High School

Mount Pleasant

Elijah Walker

Mount Pleasant Cottage School

Mount Pleasant

Jean-Ronaldo Jean-Baptiste

Edenwald School

Mt. Vernon

John Aden Harvey

Denzel Washington School of the Arts

Mt. Vernon

Deshawn Wallen

Mount Vernon STEAM Academy

New Rochelle

Richie Barajas

New Rochelle High School

New Rochelle

Michael Navarro

New Rochelle High School

New Rochelle

Miles Renwick-Archibold

New Rochelle High School

New Rochelle

Quincy Simmons

New Rochelle High School

Newburgh

Giovahni Jackson

Newburgh Free Academy West Campus

Newburgh

Jacob Lopez

Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus

Newburgh

Daniel Rego

Newburgh Free Academy North Campus

Newburgh

Matthew Worrell

Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus

NYC Bronx

Elliot Babilonia

Fordham High School for the Arts

NYC Bronx

Jonathan Delgado

Eagle Academy for Young Men

NYC Bronx

Kwame Opoku

Eagle Academy for Young Men

NYC Bronx

Derek Roman

Bronx Studio for Writers and Artists

NYC Brooklyn

Esau Allen

Millennium High School

NYC Brooklyn

Jeremy Anthony

Benjamin Banneker Academy

NYC Brooklyn

Kimario Davis

The School for Human Rights

NYC Brooklyn

Gabriel Inniss

Benjamin Banneker Academy

NYC Manhattan

Oluwadamilare Akabashorun

  1. Philip Randolph Campus High School

NYC Manhattan

Daniel Asamoah

A. Philip Randolph Campus High School

NYC Manhattan

Joshua Barr

Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem

NYC Manhattan

Shawn Riley

Frederick Douglass Academy

NYC Queens

Issac Davis

Channel View School for Research

NYC Queens

Jaden Gabb

Channel View School for Research

NYC Queens

Hussien Khatari

Richmond Hill High School

NYC Queens

Rasheem Roberts

Benjamin Franklin High School for Finance

NYC Staten Island

Kehinde Adeoso

Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island

NYC Staten Island

Zion Threats

Ralph McKee High School

NYC Staten Island

Rasheem Williams

Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island

Ossining

Joash Brown

Ossining High School

Ossining

John Jarama

Ossining High School

Peekskill

Lamar A. Kingwood

Peekskill High School

Peekskill

Tyler J. Robertson

Peekskill High School

Poughkeepsie

Jayden Chambers

Poughkeepsie High School

Poughkeepsie

Elijah Johnson

Poughkeepsie High School

Rochester

Michael Morgan

Edison Career & Technology High School

Rochester

Carl Smith

Edison Career & Technology High School

Rochester

Oscar Soto

Leadership Academy for Young Men

Rochester

Thailand Walker

Leadership Academy for Young Men

Syracuse

Stephon Adams, Jr.

Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central

Syracuse

Syinih Clark

Nottingham High School

Syracuse

Anthony Southammavong

Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler

Syracuse

Malcolm Starling

Public Service Leadership Academy at Fowler

White Plains

Anthony Espinosa

White Plains High School

White Plains

Randy Morocho

White Plains High School

Yonkers

Fidel A. Blanco

Lincoln High School

Yonkers

Khristian Crawford

Roosevelt High School Early College Studies

Yonkers

Iandel Jeremy Hernandez Lopez

Roosevelt High School Early College Studies

Yonkers

Marcus J. Walters

Riverside High School

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 in support of the initiative to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color. 

The MBK Fellows Program provides leadership opportunities to rising high school seniors, with an emphasis on boys and young men of color. With this year’s class, New York State has now inducted 247 Fellows. Each is paired with a mentor from a NYSMBK Community Network partner and participates in a fellowship in a local government office, partnering business or educational institute. NYSED has awarded over $1 million in grant funds to support this program since 2016.  

NYSED has awarded $3.6 million in grants for the MBK Exemplary School Models and Practices Program since 2016. In this program, grant recipients partner with demographically similar Struggling or Persistently Struggling schools in another district within their region to replicate exemplary practices that demonstrate cultural and linguistic responsiveness to emphasize the needs of boys and young men of color. 

Since 2016, NYSED has awarded over $2.5 million in grants funds to 11 school districts for the MBK Native American Program, to increase the academic achievement and college/career readiness of Native American students, with an emphasis on boys and young men.  

Also since 2016, NYSED has awarded more than $24 million in grants to 45 school districts for the My Brother’s Keeper 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. 

NYSED has awarded $35 million in MBK Challenge Grants since 2016 to more than 40 school districts. The MBK Challenge Grant Program is designed to encourage regions and school districts to develop and execute coherent cradle-to-career college strategies. These programs are aimed to develop and sustain effective relationships with families of boys and young men of color toward the goal of success for all students. 

Finally, since 2016 NYSED has awarded $15 million in Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) Grants to increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers. NYSED awarded grants to 16 colleges and universities to help them bolster the retention of highly qualified individuals who value equity and reflect the diversity inside and outside of our classrooms, particularly in high-need schools with recurrent teacher shortages.  

Visit the Department’s My Brother’s Keeper website for details on this movement and for information on how to subscribe to the MBK Newsletter, “Changing the Narrative.”