Please tell us a little bit about your early life.

I was born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, I spent most of my time playing and watching basketball. My father was a very good player. He played Division I basketball at Savannah State University. Afterward, he played for the New Jersey Nets in the late 1960s, when the team was still in the ABA (American Basketball Association). Then he became a high school basketball coach when I was very young. My greatest memories as a child were hanging out with my father and his team. My mother was an elementary public school teacher. Because of her, I developed a love for reading at a young age. In between games, I often read the books that my mother was reading with her class.

Can you tell us about your Berkshire experience?

I feel very fortunate to have made great friends in every aspect of my life at Berkshire, many of whom I’m fortunate to stay in touch with to this day. In particular, I became very close friends with my first roommate Matt Tommasiello ’04. At the outset, we seemed like complete opposites. He was on the hockey team and from Rhode Island. I didn’t know the first thing about hockey. I didn’t know anyone from Rhode Island. But, we quickly became close. We would talk for hours about our respective sports and life-goals. Matt is a very positive person. And he was a great student-leader. He became prefect of the dorm our senior year.

Who were the people you feel really helped you at Berkshire?

This is such a tough question because there were so many members of the faculty who helped me in many different ways. If I had to narrow it down to two people, I would choose Mrs. Duryee-Aas and Mr. Kinne.

On my visit, I was so nervous about making a good impression that I was very tense. I met Mrs. D a few minutes into my tour. After a short conversation, she said you should come to Berkshire and when you get here I want to be your advisor. Her kind words made me feel at ease and excited to attend the School. Throughout my time at Berkshire, she was an excellent advisor. She always challenged me to 'find my voice.' It was her support that gave me the confidence to create the Diversity Club and run for All-School President. While leading student-government, I still had moments of self-doubt. Thankfully, she continued to encourage me and provide invaluable guidance. I love her as a second mother.

Mr. Kinne was an excellent coach, teacher, and mentor. He really helped me to make the transition from Brooklyn to Berkshire. I loved playing for him. He has a low-key temperament, but he’s a tough competitor! I have so many great memories of us battling teams like Trinity-Pawling, Avon, and Salisbury. Just like Mrs. D, he was equally supportive of me off the court.

What’s your favorite place to visit when you come back to campus?

I really love to stand in the middle of Buck Valley and just look up at Berkshire Hall and the incredible view of the mountain in the background. Coming from the city, I always appreciated the opportunity to attend a school on such a beautiful campus. When I come back to visit, the view is a reminder of the wonderful privilege I had in attending Berkshire.

So, what are you up to these days?

Currently, I am a third-year student at Fordham University School of Law. I will graduate in May 2016! I was fortunate to receive the Fordham Legal Writing Award, which is given to the student who attains the highest grade in their first-year legal writing class.

Five years ago, I founded my own 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Empowering Ourselves, Inc., with a mission to combat juvenile delinquency and community deterioration in my neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. I was motivated to create this organization because I witnessed so many talented young people in my community fall victim to gang violence, selling drugs, teenage pregnancy, and self-destructive behavior. At Dartmouth College, I received several undergraduate research grants, which enabled me to create the foundational paradigm for Empowering Ourselves. 

Since 2010, we have partnered with public schools and juvenile detention centers to conduct workshops centered on empowering at-risk youth, reducing violence, and getting young people to seriously think about the importance of respect for self and community. For the past two years, we have presented a Summer Enrichment Academy to help improve the academic performance of boys and girls in the community. My mother and I are dedicated to growing Empowering Ourselves into a highly effective academic/community center for vulnerable youth in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Our website is www.EmpoweringOurselvesInc.org

Do you have any advice for current students?

I would strongly urge current students to step out of their comfort zones to find their voices. Whether that means joining a club or taking on a leadership position on campus, Berkshire is such a supportive community that faculty and students will encourage you during every step of your journey. As a student, I was impressed at the number of times members of the community reached out to others to offer words of positive reassurance. From personal experience, taking advantage of leadership opportunities at Berkshire will help you develop the self-assurance to make an impact on your college campus and in the real world.