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MAY 2021 NEWSLETTER 

DECISION DAY 2021      “Inspiring”, “Encouraging”, “Joyous”, “Amazing”, “Unforgettable”...

List of Cohort 10 attending colleges and universities

These are just a few of the words that the graduating Scholars used to describe the experience of being a part of the Hartford Youth Scholars community, during the 2021 Decision Day Celebration! 


The 2nd Annual Decision Day Celebration, held on May 8 via Zoom, gave our 29 graduating Scholars and their families a chance to celebrate their accomplishments. They are all leaving high school behind and moving on to many exciting opportunities, including attending some of the top colleges and universities in the country.

 

In addition to the Scholars, their families, and the HYS staff, the event was attended by special guest Joyce Mandell, and former HYS board chairperson, Greg Davis. Mandell spoke to Scholars and their families of the support that their community proudly provides them, as they enter this new phase of their life. The Mandell-Braunstein Family Foundation awards a scholarship to each HYS graduating senior to cover incidental costs for their first year of college.

 

The parents of graduating Scholar Olatunji O., who will be attending Northwestern University, spoke of the support and growth opportunities that HYS provides for Scholars, giving each the chance they need to grow into the person they are meant to be. “HYS cultivates a good environment for the Scholars. It gives them the tools to succeed and pulls the best out of them. It is a family, and HYS is there every step of the way."

 

Members of Cohort 10 will be attending some of the most well-known colleges and universities in the country, including Georgetown University, Northwestern University, and The University of Chicago. Multiple Scholars will be attending prominent Connecticut colleges and universities, including The University of Connecticut, Wesleyan University, and Southern Connecticut State University. Many Scholars will remain in New England and will be attending such reputable institutions as Colby College, Gordon College, Boston College, Ithaca College, New York University, New England Institute of Technology and College of the Holy Cross. Finally, a few graduating Scholars will be broadening their horizons by attending renowned schools across the country, including Florida Institute of Technology and Howard University. 

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT

Celebrating our graduates usually happens as a community gathering, but this year, due to Covid-19, HYS took to the streets with surprise goodies for our Cohort 10 graduates!


Click here to see the video! 

SCHOLAR UPDATES: Cohort 6

Shamari Harrington headshot

Scholars in HYS Cohort 6, many of whom have recently graduated from college, will be starting new careers and pursuing graduate degrees in the coming months. Multiple members of Cohort 6 have accepted jobs in Connecticut and beyond, including Brea A. (Howard University) who has accepted a position with Microsoft in Reno, Nevada, Carlos F. (UConn) who has accepted a position with Conning Insurance Asset Management in Hartford, Gary S. (Georgetown University) who will be working in the Insurance Operations Leadership Development program at Travelers in Hartford and Elaney O. (Scripps College) who will be working as a preschool teacher in Connecticut and applying to Ph.D. programs. Cohort 6 Scholars will also be pursuing advanced degree opportunities at many fantastic schools around the country. Domingo D. will be working as a Summer Research Fellow at UC Irvine. Isaac G. will be attending the Ph.D. program in History at Rutgers University. Kianna G. will be earning her Master’s in Social Work at UConn. Shanelle J. will be attending Carey Law School at the University of Pennsylvania. Tayhlor W. will be enrolling in a post baccalaureate Pre-PA program at Elms College.


In honor of Cohort 6, HYS will be celebrating a decade of scholarship in June 10th-- for Cohort 6 Scholars, families and special guests only. For information, email Karen Powers, kpowers@hartfordyouthscholars.org

COLLEGE READINESS CONFERENCE

Photo of Keynote Speaker, Mark Overmyer-Velasquez

On Saturday, April 10, HYS held our Annual College Readiness Conference. More than 125 of our Scholars and their family members tuned in via Zoom, where they watched keynote speaker, Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velazquez – Inaugural University Campus Director of the University of Connecticut at Hartford, Professor of History and Latinx Studies and HYS partner in the community - give a dynamic, thoughtful and engaging presentation.

 

Scholars and parents then broke up into small workshops where they participated in various college-readiness activities, like “Building Your High School Transcript”, “All Things Scholarships”, and “Understanding Your Financial Aid Award”.

 

Participants also had the opportunity to hear from HYS alumni and current staff, Brittany Rodriguez and Tariq McMahon. Rodriguez, Director of High School and College Success, walked parents and Scholars through a timeline of the College Planning Bootcamp for the upcoming summer and emphasized the importance of getting a head start on the application process. McMahon, Associate Director of Scholar Success, gave an orientation for the newest HYS program: Bridge to Success - a pre-college summer program designed to prepare 12th grade Scholars for their college journey.

 

Anyone with questions about the College Planning Bootcamp Program is encouraged to contact Brittany Rodriguez at brodriguez@hartfordyouthscholars.org,  and questions related to the Bridge to Success Program can be directed to Tariq McMahon at tmcmahon@hartfordyouthscholars.org

Read-in events spark learning through diverse programming

HYS Application flyer


THE COLLEGIATE ACADEMY


Culturally diverse and engaging programming has always been at the forefront of The Collegiate Academy, and though this year’s events were virtual, HYS was able to host a variety of thoughtful and important conversations for the 7th and 8th grade Scholars. 


These events included four Read-Ins for Hispanic Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Black History Month, and most recently, for Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month in May.


Each event invited speakers to share wisdom, knowledge and insight with the Collegiate Academy Scholars, HYS staff and teachers. The speakers included Karen Taylor, the Director of Equity & Opportunity for the City of Hartford and Brittany Yancy, Assistant Professor of Humanities at Goodwin University. Shakira Ramos Crespo, Associate Director of Product Marketing at Pratt & Whitney served as the Keynote Speaker for Women's History Month. Three HYS board members also shared their knowledge and insights with HYS Scholars. Dr. Elsa Núñez, President of Eastern Connecticut State University for Hispanic Heritage Month; and for Black History Month, Chris Parris, Chief Program Officer at the Steppingstone Foundation and Tokunbo Akinbajo, Corporate Secretary for Mass Mutual, who gifted copies of the book he read to all the Scholars. 

 

The AAPI Read-In on May 1st, allowed Scholars, HYS staff and teachers to hear from Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong, who was the first Asian American to be elected at the statewide level in Connecticut. Tong, who was born in Hartford, spoke to the Scholars about the racism that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are facing today in the United States, paying particular attention to the recent hate crimes in Atlanta, Georgia. Tong spoke about the online movement to stop Asian hate, and discussed how to build cross-cultural, cross-racial, and cross-ethnic coalitions to address and eradicate hate crimes against the Asian community. Tong spoke openly and honestly from personal experience, providing the Scholars with an opportunity to ask questions and to truly engage with him and with one another.

PREPPING FOR SUMMER ACADEMY, happening online JUNE 5-29!

As the school year comes to a close, the current and incoming Scholars of The Collegiate Academy are gearing up for a summer filled with learning, growth and opportunity.

 

This year’s Summer Academy, which will be virtual, will be held from July 5 through July 29, with an Orientation session for Scholars and their families on June 25, and a Matriculation Ceremony on July 29 to mark the close of the summer.

 

On June 12, HYS staff will be handing out Chromebooks to all rising 7th graders as well as swag and supplies to all Scholars for Academy. This event will take place at the HYS office (129 Allen Place) beginning at 10 a.m.

 

The impressive faculty list for this year’s program includes: Dr. Shirletta Kinchen, an Associate Professor of Pan-African Studies at The University of Louisville, Dr. Markeysha Davis, an Assistant Professor of Africana Studies & Literature at the University of Hartford, Mr. Oladipupo Mayungbo (Math), Ms. Jackeline Krupenski (Spanish), Mr. Edward Murenzi, and Ms. Anitra Orie (Science).

 

Additionally, this summer will mark the launch of the new HYS Teacher Apprenticeship Program, with Jailene Pedraza joining the summer staff as the first Teaching Apprentice.

 

Get Vaccinated!

With the C.D.C. announcement that children ages 12 to 15 are now able to receive the Pfizer vaccine, HYS would like to encourage all members of our community to get vaccinated, and to vaccinate any children who are now eligible.


During the HYS Zoom Town Hall meeting on April 15th, Hartford Healthcare representatives clarified the facts surrounding the vaccines and debunked wide-spread myths that may have discouraged people from getting vaccinated.

 

The major takeaways from the meeting were that the available Covid vaccines are all extremely safe and effective, and that it is impossible to get Covid-19 from taking the vaccine, as the vaccine does not introduce dead or weakened Covid-19 virus into our bodies. Additionally, representatives from Hartford HealthCare clarified that the vaccine does not impact fertility, as it does not change your DNA in any way. They encouraged pregnant women to talk to their doctors about the vaccine as well.

 

Anyone with questions about the vaccine is encouraged to visit Hartford HealthCare’s website or to contact a staff member at HYS. Additionally, you can find vaccination sites near you at https://portal.ct.gov/vaccine-portal.

VACCINE CLINIC FOR HYS SCHOLARS


Scholars in Cohort 1-15 can get vaccinated at the VACCINE CLINIC on June 5th and 26th at HYS offices, 129 Allen Street. 

 

For info, email Gadams@hartfordyouthscholars.org.
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