CB10, Yankees award youth leaders
BY JASON COHEN
Community Board 10 and
the New York Yankees recently
recognized fi ve young
adults who make a difference
in the community.
On Nov. 5, CB10 presented
Michael Martire, Jonathan
Diaz, Amal Kharoufeh, Makayla
Penn and Kiara Breton
with the Yankees’ Youth
Leadership Award.
Each person received a
$750 stipend and winners perform
50 hours of leadership
or volunteer work as a tutor,
mentor or advocate against
violence and substance abuse.
Typically, they are honored
on fi eld at a game, but
due to COVID-19, that was
not possible.
“The award is pretty
amazing,” Breton said. “I
didn’t expect to get it out of
so many people that applied
for it.”
Breton, a freshman at Lehman
College, has been in
the Police Explorers program
at the 45th Precinct
for three years and was student
president at Bronx River
High School.
Jonathan Diaz Michael Martire
She joined the Explorers
because she wanted to give
back to her community and
experience what it would be
like to be a police offi cer.
“The experience has been
very cool and informative
because we learn about what
the training that police offi -
cers go through,” Breton said.
“It teaches us how to be more
disciplined and learn more
leadership skills.”
Breton, a nursing student,
is enrolled in the National
Guard and hopes to one day
serve in the Air Force.
Kharoufeh is a freshman
nursing student at Mercy
College and was valedictorian
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Makayla Penn
last year at Renaissance
High School for Musical Theater
& Technology. She said
it was nice to be recognized
and hopes to one day serve
the community.
“It feels pretty motivating,
it’s like asking for me to keep
going,” she said.
Martire and Diaz were
not at the ceremony, but expressed
gratitude to Community
Board 10 and the Yankees.
Martire, who is a freshman at
Boston College, collected over
2,000 pairs of socks for the
homeless last year for his senior
advocacy project.
He hopes to attend a
Yankee game in person
next summer.
“I am very grateful for
this award and will apply
it towards my education,”
Martire said.
Diaz, a freshman at the
University of Albany, did
extensive volunteer work
throughout his time at
Fordham Prep.
“I learned important life
lessons through my volunteer
work,” Diaz said. “Humanity
depends on helping others. Unfortunately
sometimes we can
lose perspective. As students
and as young adults, there
are often many challenges we
all must overcome, yet I have
made a commitment to being
a man for others. Volunteer
work is necessary. It is vital.
Doing so will save lives, often
times even our own.”
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