ALBANY, NY (May 1, 2025) — The New York State Education Department inducted its eighth and largest class of My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows, comprising 124 boys and young men of color, and announced the MBK Community Network’s expansion to 50 member communities, including Port Chester-Rye in Westchester County.
The MBK initiative, aimed at closing opportunity gaps, supports boys and young men of color in reaching their full potential. “New York State My Brother’s Keeper is more than a program—it’s a movement that is changing lives by empowering young people to lead with purpose,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr.
In Port Chester-Rye, Jah’meer Furman and Carlos Daniel Palma Morales from Port Chester High School were named 2025 MBK Fellows. Nearby, in New Rochelle, Quincy Fosu, Vasslon Ingram, Jr., Stone Pride, and Justin Southwell from New Rochelle High School were also inducted.
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Other Westchester communities celebrated fellows, including Ossining’s Malachi Drysdale and Aiden Mendez from Ossining High School, Peekskill’s Aaron Owusu and Daryan Smith from Peekskill High School, White Plains’ Brandon Archer and Emanuel Vanegas Ocampo from White Plains High School, and Yonkers’ Joel Gonzalez, Max Hernandez, Marcus Knight, and Quilan Wilson from various high schools.
Commissioner Betty A. Rosa emphasized the initiative’s impact: “My Brother’s Keeper reflects the Department’s steadfast commitment to uplifting every student and ensuring equity in education.”
The MBK Community Network welcomed 14 new members, including Port Chester-Rye, Auburn, Central Islip, Ellenville, Lockport, Longwood, Massena, Salmon River, Southampton, Suffern, Troy, Valley Stream, Westbury, and Wyandanch. Communities join by submitting a joint letter from a school superintendent and local government official, committing to six national and state MBK goals.
Each fellow is paired with a mentor from an MBK Community Network partner and participates in a fellowship at a local government office, business, or educational institution. Fellows must develop service projects addressing issues like equitable access to education, intervention services, structural racism, or community engagement.
Since 2016, New York has invested significantly in MBK programs, including $3 million for the Fellows Program, $6 million for the Indigenous Education Program, $55.5 million for the Family and Community Engagement Program, $54.6 million in Challenge Grants, and $33 million in Teacher Opportunity Corps II grants.
Initiated by former President Barack Obama in 2014, MBK became state law in New York with a $20 million investment in the 2016-17 budget. The Fellows Program has inducted 540 fellows to date. For more details, visit the New York State Education Department’s My Brother’s Keeper website.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.