Changemakers: Empowering Youth to Thrive

24 Cottage Road,Kensington NH 03833

02 February, 2023

Description

Thursday February 2nd from 5PM to 7PM. Doors open at 4PM for time to enjoy a glass of wine from the cash bar and explore Alnoba's ground and art. Our founder, Alan Lewis had a lifelong vision to help change people’s lives. Having grown up in some tough Boston neighborhoods and moving 14 times before the age of seven, he knew firsthand how uneven life’s playing field can be for young people. These experiences made him an unwavering champion for the underdog. He spent his life finding and supporting what he called, ‘real deal’ leaders who dare to change the world. We invite you to join us for a conservation with two such leaders, Greg Hill and Hermese Velasquez, who Alan admired and who both are changing lives of young people in Boston’s Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan. Greg is a graduate of Dorchester’s Jerimiah Burke High School, where he now is the Junior Class Academy Team Leader. He founded Team New England, a youth development program that provides safety through sports, gets at risk participants out of their comfort zone and exposes them to post-secondary education and alternative career pathways early in their life journey. Hermese is Executive Director of Summer Search, which provides year-round mentoring, transformational summer experience to create bright futures for young people to thrive. She is also an alumni of the program. Like Alan, these two leaders stayed in their communities to help young people beat the odds and push them to achieve their greatest potential. This will be a remarkable opportunity to meet two local heroes making a difference. Event Schedule4PM – Explore Alnoba’s grounds and art with a glass of wine or beer from the cash bar5PM – Conversation with Greg & Hermese with Q&A6PM – Networking and meet & greet7PM – Event endsAbout Greg HillGreg Hill is life-long resident of Boston, and is the Junior Class Academy Team Leader at the Jeremiah Burke High School, where he ensures that all operational aspects of the school’s programs are efficient and effective. He oversees student attendance and behavior, implementation of academic policies, and student development for all juniors at the Burke. Greg is the co-founder of Team New England, a youth development organization whose mission is to use tangible experiences as a way to bring youth in marginalized communities out of their comfort zones, provide a safe haven for at-risk youth and expose the community to post-secondary education and alternative career pathways early in their life journey. About Hermese VelasquezA native of Belize, Central America and a first-generation college graduate, Hermese has firsthand experience with the game changing power of education. Hermese’s long-standing commitment to Summer Search spans multiple roles, including participant during her high school years, Alumni Board Chair, and member of the Summer Search Boston Board of Directors. It is Hermese’s delight and Summer Search’s great fortune to have her add staff member to that list, stepping into the role of Boston Executive Director in December 2016. Summer Search is a year-round program that empowers young people to confidently pursue their vision of success during and after high school through mentoring, summer experiential learning opportunities, individualized college & post-secondary advising, and career supports. Visit alnoba.org/events for our full 2023 calendar of events.