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Supporter Stories
Meet KATHY and KARL KRAPEK
"Kathy and I are blessed to be able to give these extraordinary young Scholars the opportunity to grow and to thrive."
Karl Krapek founded Hartford Youth Scholars
in 2005, after meeting with Mayor Eddie Perez to discuss the creation of a scholarship fund that would finance private school tuitions for students from Hartford. Mr. Krapek and Mayor Perez set out to assemble a top notch team.
Donald K. Wilson, Jr.
and Anthony Francoline
were recruited to lead the effort, and Kelvin Roldán
from the Mayor's office was chosen to join the team.
National research followed by targeted group discussions led to the team's determination that funding was not the main obstacle to Hartford students' academic success; that academic preparation was what was holding these young people back.
Hartford Youth Scholars was born; Mr. Krapek was the organization's first Chairman of the Board from 2005-2010, and he continues to serve on its Executive Committee today, as Founding Chairman.
To say that there would be no HYS without Karl and his wife Kathy
would be an understatement. They have contributed immeasurable amounts of time, treasure and talent
to this organization. Karl and Kathy have remained steadfast in their belief that this program could and would change Hartford by creating leaders to study, work, and live in the city.
We all are honored and grateful to be watching this belief become reality!
Meet ETHAN ASOFSKY
"Every interaction that I've had with the organization has been about the Scholars - first and foremost. The one word that I would use to describe HYS is 'caring.'"
2017 saw an evolution of our experiential programming
(now dubbed "Beyond the Books")
that was co-founded by Asofsky Family Foundation Board Member
Ethan Asofsky,
through the family's charitable grant. Ethan recognized that HYS had a strong educational component and he and his family believed that providing experiential learning would put HYS' program "over the top" by truly helping young people to explore new things and find their own voice.
The idea was that young people couldn't discover what their dream was if they didn't know that it exists!
Beyond the Books
programming has our Scholars experiencing things like: field trips to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC; college tours; equity and inclusion experiences; local cultural and sporting events; and everything in between!
As Ethan says: "HYS believes in their Scholars' futures beyond grades.
The classroom is an important stage, but it's just the first one we all have to face. Ultimately, you have to be able to go out and perform in the world - and HYS is committed to helping their Scholars achieve for the long term."
Meet KATHERINE KELTER
"I was blown away by their perseverance, their honesty, and their determination."
Katherine Kelter, Trinity College '18 and The Kelter Family Foundation,
underwrote HYS' experiential learning programming "Beyond the Books" in 2018, after Katherine got to know our Scholars. During her senior year, Katherine volunteered her time
to perform mock interviews with 8th grade Scholars and she also hosted a family style meal at Saint Anthony Hall eating club on Trinity's campus.
"Conducting mock interviews with the Scholars allowed me to get to know their favorite books, the person they most admire, and many other aspects of their personal lives. I was blown away by their perseverance, their honesty, and their determination. I enjoyed getting to know the kids through these interviews, but having the chance to connect with them through the "Beyond the Books" program
was the most meaningful aspect of my involvement with HYS. This programming is special because it gives the Scholars exposure to cultural aspects of life outside of the classroom, and it also rewards their hard work with new interests and skills to learn."