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St. Stephen’s Teens Root On Boston Sports Teams
Over the past week, through a partnership with Mass Mentoring, teens from St. Stephen’s have enjoyed a variety of Boston sports events. This past weekend, soccer fans Aliyah Glover and Nyah Webb traveled to Foxborough see the New England Revolution play the Montreal Impact at Gillette stadium. They went with their mentor, Kali Downer, as well as St. Stephen’s staff Kasey Boston and Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory. It started snowing in the second half, but the group stayed warm with a steady stream of hot chocolate and warm treats. Despite the Revolution losing 1-0, the group loved the experience and was thankful to have had the opportunity to go on the adventure together.
Following the soccer adventure, 5 of the teen organizers, along with St. Stephen’s staff members Sarah O’Connor and Karl Magloire, saw the Boston Celtics play a preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets. The teens celebrated their own fall organizing success together, while also losing their voices cheering on a team they all love. Sarah O’Connor said of the experience, “Dominick lost his voice yelling over the railing for the coach to put all of the players in so they all got a chance to play!”
All of these experiences were made possible through the partnerships between St. Stephen’s, Mass Mentoring, and Celtics Shamrock Foundation. With this partnership intact, St. Stephen’s hopes to continue to send teens and their mentors to games throughout the rest of the year.
Bunker Hill Visit Kicks Off College Success Program
SSYP’s new College Success program will help us do a better job of supporting our graduates as they transition into college. Because twelve of our alumni currently attend Bunker Hill Community College, the school, was a natural choice to be a program partner. Our goal is to create a cohort model, similar to that of the Posse Foundation, where students can utilize each other as resources during the what is typically a very challenging year for Boston Public School graduates. Since many of our alums hope to transfer to four-year schools, we also hope to support them in those efforts.
Anna Rodriguez (an alum in her second year at Tufts University) and I met with Julita Bailey, the Senior Special Programs Coordinator at Bunker Hill. Julita has years of experience working with first-generation students and oversees the ACE mentoring program. ACE is “committed to helping new students make a successful transition to Bunker Hill Community College by focusing on academic achievement, engagement, and cultural competency.”
Our next step is to have Bunker Hill students come to an alumni event at St. Stephen’s, where Julita will help them learn more about campus resources and the transfer process. But that is just the beginning. Soon we will go to Benjamin Franklin Institute to meet with their academic advisors and the three SSYP alums who attend the school.
Posted by: Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, College and Career Program Coordinator
From College Access To College Success!
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For some time, we have known that getting into college is only the first hurdle. As we hear from from our alumni, making it through college is very difficult for young people who graduate from Boston Public Schools (BPS). In fact, The Boston Foundation reported that college completion rates among BPS graduates are almost as low as the district’s high school graduation rates. Some teens experience “summer melt” and drop out before they actually enroll in college. Others become discouraged early on when faced with remedial coursework, overwhelming debt, and lack of support. Sometimes, students who are used to being portrayed as “success stories” in their communities drop out without telling anyone they are experiencing difficulty, embarrassed about not being able to meet the goals they have set for themselves. The Success Boston College Completion Initiative was created to change the conversation from college access to college success. Based on their model, this year our mentoring program will include college students and we are developing an alumni support program to connect students with other SSYP alums, and campus resources. If you are interested in being involved in this program please contact Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory. Posted by Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, Massachusetts Promise Fellow, College and Career Program Coordinator |
B-SAFE: Not Just A Summer Camp
On Monday morning, the sun shone brightly through the windows as the clock slowly ticked down from 8:29 to 8:30. Then the doors burst open and waves of young people, excited for another year of B-SAFE, poured in. In addition to the roughly 600 young people who will come to camp for the next five weeks, the excitement was shared by the 130 teens who are employed through B-SAFE this summer. For many, B-SAFE has become a consistent job that provides a safe, fun, and rigorous summer job opportunity, filled with professional development trainings, and coaching by the Teen Staff Coordinators. This summer the Teen Team, made up up four Teen Staff Coordinators and two J-CIT Coordinators has been very intentional in crafting a summer full of trainings that will help the teens grow both personally and professionally. With so many of our teens returning to B-SAFE, the goal was to provide training opportunities that were new, and would push our teens in ways they haven’t experienced before.
The first week was focused around future planning and professional development, with the training focusing on resume development, interview skills, and college essay writing. In addition, teens created both a professional and personal goal for the summer, which helped them think through what they want to get out of the summer and the B-SAFE experience. Week 2 focuses on public speaking, both in terms of best techniques to overcome the anxiety of speaking to a group as well as how to express your own passions and dreams through spoken word. Week 3 will focus on wellness, and tackle the concepts of spirituality, wellbeing and mental health, and will give teens an opportunity to think through their own self care techniques. Finally we will tackle the issues of community violence and other social justice issues with the help with Rebecca Jackson, our resident social worker. Overall, these are all new trainings, which will provide the opportunity for teens, both new and returning, to grow on a variety of different levels.
Providing opportunities to support teens, both on an individual level and as a group, is something that is crucial to our programming. For teens, we strive to not simply provide a job, but to provide an opportunity to learn, grow, and connect both with other teens, and with the staff. Our hope is that by providing this support, we are helping to support teens on their journeys in high school and beyond, and provide validation to their own skills. As a Teen Staff Coordinator, I am already thrilled with the work that the teens are doing, as they are vital in providing a community that lets both youth and teens feel big, safe and connected.
Posted by Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, Teen Staff Coordinator
Thank You Jeremy!
SSYP’s Mass Promise Fellow Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory with new high school graduate Michael Cordero.
St. Stephen’s Youth Programs could not be happier with the hard work and major accomplishments of Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory this year! His contributions — career panels, mentoring pairs, new partnerships, college visits, service projects, and leadership development — have helped NINETEEN seniors graduate from high school with solid plans for the future. With his encouragement, many other teens in our programs have begun to imagine their paths to success! THANK YOU, JEREMY! #PromiseFellowWeek, #ThankAFellow!
Fostering The Next Generation of Musicians
“Be true to yourself above all else,” was a common theme heard during the Music Career Panel recently held at St. Stephen’s Youth Programs as part of our S2POT Program. Teens listened to speakers from a variety of musical professionals talk about their personal journeys. What became clear early on was not only how much passion the panelists have for music, but also how central music is in the lives of our teens.
The panel was made up of individuals from very different areas in the musical world. Jeeyoon Kim who is a current Mass Promise Fellow at Zumix, spoke about her experiences as a DJ and web director for WERS 88.9FM, as the program director for WECB: The Underground Sound of Emerson College, and as a contributor and community manager for a local online publication, Allston Pudding. DeeJay Daz One, a local DJ spoke about his journey in the arts, first as a dancer, then a singer, then an emcee and now as one of Boston’s biggest deejays. He says his role in music is to bridge the gap between popularity and purpose, and to teach the next generation how to be accepted just by being themselves. Finally, brothers Dante and Denzel Patterson spoke about their experiences. Dante has been in the music industry for four years doing marketing and management, and helped bring the first Boston Hip Hop stage to the A36 Hip Hop Fest in Atlanta last year. His brother Denzel, aka “FlyBoiDizzy,” spoke about his career as a rapper. FlyBoiDizzy credited a lot of his success to perseverance, and not taking no for an answer.
The panelists’ stories and experiences — including triumphs and failures — captivated the teens, who were able to ask questions and get valuable advice. They heard about how to market themselves as artists, the importance of developing business skills, and the importance of traveling and experiencing as much as possible.
The panel was a huge success, and we look forward to bringing these panelists back to speak to other teens in the future. Our next career panel on Social Justice will take place on June 10th, at St. Stephens.
Posted by: Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, College and Career Program Coordinator
Senior Spotlight: Nelisha Carrasquillo
With a passion for the outdoors and pursuing her own dreams of studying ecology, Nelisha will be heading to Sterling College in Craftsbury, Vermont on a full scholarship. As one of the leading voices in higher education for environment stewardship, Sterling College offers Nelisha a really unique opportunity to utilize nature as a classroom. Nelisha says she was drawn to the one-on-one attention that students get at Sterling, both by teachers and advisors. She is also really excited to have classes that focus more on the outdoors then on textbooks, and to be in a new environment where she will be able to meet a diverse group of new people. When asked how she thinks St. Stephen’s has helped prepare her to be successful, Nelisha said “In more ways than one. Blake, my mentor was always there to keep me focused on school and my grades so that I could be successful after.” Nelisha has a wonderful sense of adventure and is thrilled with the opportunity to be able to test a new environment and venture away from home. Kasey and I both are so excited for Nelisha, and can’t wait to hear about all the adventures that Nelisha will be having in Vermont. We just hope she doesn’t forget to send us a postcard or two.
Posted By: Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, College and Career Program Coordinator
Senior Spotlight: Leatrae Gooding
“It will help me conquer the world,” said Leatrae Gooding when asked about how he thinks Year Up will help him achieve his goals. Trae is a one of a kind personality, who is driven by his passion for creating his own legacy in the music and business world. Next year he will be participating in the Year Up program, a one year bridge program that combines six months of professional development and a six month paid internship with classes at Cambridge College. This unique program allows for students to be able to learn all the tools they need to be successful in the business world with a dual enrollment program at Cambridge College, where the students can choose between the Business Management or Informational Technology program.
With the dreams of starting his own Sneaker Exchange Company, Trae is excited to pursue a business management degree while also learning how to navigate the professional world. He is most excited about “being able to learn, not only about school but how to be successful in life.” He credits Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory and Kasey Boston as two people who have helped prepare him for the next step, and says that the most recent BRIDGE trip to North Carolina was a transformative experience that helped humble and ground him. Trae is pumped about this next opportunity, and I am personally excited to see how he can take advantage of this amazing program.
Senior Spotlight: Didier Antoine
With a voice born to be heard on the radio, Didier Antoine is headed to Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) next year with the goal of majoring in communications. A senior at Snowden International School, Didier is planning on attending BHCC for two years and transferring to a four-year institution to finish his degree. When asked what he is most looking forward to, Didier explained how he is looking forward to the college experience, living on his own, and being able to make his own decisions about his future. He plans on utilizing BHCC to “get his act together and prepare for a four year school.” His goal is not only to be a voice on the radio, but also be able to do voice over narration in animated films. All who know Didier can already imagine his voice in the next big blockbuster.
Having been a part of the St. Stephen’s program since he was young, Didier credits Tim, Liz, and the St. Stephen’s community for keeping him accountable as a student and a person. Specifically, over the past two years Didier says that Judy Bullit, his College and Career mentor, is one of the main reasons he feels ready to take this next step. The one-on-one help that she has provided him has helped him be on track to graduate. Didier is excited for whatever comes next, and I know all of us at St. Stephen’s are thrilled to see what Didier is able to make of this next opportunity.
Posted By: Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, College and Career Program Coordinator
St. Stephen’s Youth Programs Honored By Massachusetts Promise Fellowship
Last week, St. Stephen’s Youth Programs was honored at Northeastern University’s annual Pancakes and Partnerships Event hosted by the Center of Community Service (CCS). The purpose of the event is to celebrate and recognize the partnerships NEU students have with community organizations. There were nearly 25 groups there, including AmericaScores, Generation Citizen, and 826 Boston.
As part of the event, the different offices within CCS each choose a program to profile and spotlight. This year, SSYP received the Partner Spotlight from the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship. MPF Director Colleen Holohan recognized the seven years of partnership between MPF and SSYP, as well as SSYP’s continued commitment to young people, community improvement, and mentoring of Fellows as they become stronger youth workers. Holohan said, “St. Stephens remains dedicated to providing essential programs and care to young people all over Boston.” The partnership was particularly exciting this year as we celebrated the Patriots’s Super Bowl win by hosting the Boston and Seattle mayors at ServiceBowl 2015.
Recently, SSYP learned that we were awarded an MPF for next program year. And, for the first time ever, current Fellow Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, has chosen to stay on as a Senior Fellow to continue growing and improving the College and Career Support Program. St. Stephen’s Youth Programs is extremely thankful to MPF for spotlighting SSYP at the event, and we are looking forward to continued partnership work in the years to come.
Posted By: Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, College and Career Program Coordinator
St. Stephen's Youth Programs 