Some 75 Brooklyn high-school students of class of 2016 were honored at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Tuesday, June 7 for their outstanding achievements.
The Caribbean American Center of New York hosted the saluting event to honor students who were selected for their determined school work. Students and families came to Brooklyn Borough Hall to receive their awards from Brooklyn Borough president Eric L. Adams, and the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“We are here today, because we, the Caribbean American Center and its board of directors, really dedicate ourselves to young people — especially students,” said Jean Alexander, executive director and one of the founders of the Caribbean American Center of New York.
She also encouraged the honorees to know about self-worth.
“If you never charge a penny for something, you’ll never going to have a penny for yourself,” said Alexander.
Organizers said that the selection process for the honorees was not an easy task, and the overall recommendations were made by school superintendents, principals and teachers.
“Real scrutiny went into selecting the group that is here. It wasn’t as easy as just looking at a list and seeing who was at the top,” said Ival Williams, a board member of the Caribbean American Center of New York. “We wanted to know who is at the top and how did they get here, and where were they last year.”
The Caribbean American Center of New York is a youth and community organization, founded in 1987 by Jean Alexander, due to the lack of resources for immigrants to rely on. The center aims to aid young adults with the tools and support needed in pursuing education and careers.
Several schools that had honorees included the School of Human Rights, High School for Sports Management, School for Legal Studies, George Westinghouse High School, and John Dewey High School Students were presented with two awards, one from the Caribbean American Center of New York and Borough President Eric L. Adams, and the other from State Comptroller Scott Stringer.
Alexander hopes that students take advantage of scholarships and enroll into college without delay.
“We would like to see you guys do the best possible with your future, that’s why we are so dedicated,” said Alexander.
