Elijah was a reserved 13-year-old boy in our Rites of Passage Program whose mother is a single parent. After a year in Bro/Sis Elijah has evolved into an outspoken and confident young man, one who is willing to take risks. His mother has attributed his growth to having positive male mentors in his life.
Our membership will have the opportunity to participate in over 100 outings, such as trips to educational and cultural centers, involvement in workshops and conferences, attending nature retreats and engaging in sports and wellness activities. This type of exposure helps bolster our holistic approach to developing our young people into well- rounded and dynamic individuals who have a strong sense of the world and their place in it.
Ashley began her higher education journey at a community college with the intent to improve her grades and transfer to a four-year institution. Through hard work, she accomplished that goal. Unfortunately her dream of completing her college degree at SUNY New Paltz almost came to a halt when she realized her scholarship did not cover room and board. There was no way she could possibly commute from her home in Harlem to New Paltz. Thankfully, Bro/Sis was able to step in and cover Ashley's room and board through our scholarship fund. Today, Ashley is looking forward to completing her degree in two years.
Our College Advisory and Workforce Development Program provides comprehensive guidance and support ranging from financial aid counseling, help with college applications, college tours to over 15 schools, resume workshops, internships and summer jobs. We begin this curriculum with our youngest members and the results are astounding; with 95% of our alumni either enrolled in college or working full time. This year, we look forward to seeing 75 young people across our programs entering college.
Brothers, Jonathan and Anthony started our After School Program at 8 years old. They were often disruptive, impulsive and impatient. Their parents attributed some of their behavior to them not being able to see their father as often as they would like. Ralphie Santiago, was a founding youth member of Bro/Sis in 1995 - one of the original Brotherhood members. After graduation from Wesleyan University, Ralphie returned to Bro/Sis as a full time staff member and is now an Assistant Coordinator. He is also the direct mentor to Jonathan and Anthony and he, from his own experience as a youth at Bro/Sis, understood the importance of these boys having a consistent and sensitive male presence in their lives. Every day, Ralphie would spend extra time with each boy to provide them space to work through any emotions they were experiencing. Four years later, the boys have become independent, disciplined young men who exhibit self-control and consideration for their classmates. Anthony has taken on a leadership role among his peers and Jonathan, who used to struggle in school, is now passing his classes with flying colors. We attribute this to our approach of empowering young people to take control of their own lives and guiding them to develop a strong sense of self and agency.
Over 400 young people in our program will complete mission statements for their lives, defining for themselves what it means to be a sister/brother, woman/man, and leader. They will also create individual Oaths of Dedication - personal testimonies to how they will their lives.
