13
QUEENS WEEKLY, JULY 14, 2019
Queens teens graduate from ‘Jeter’s Leaders’ program
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Five incoming Queens
college freshmen were
among 10 students were
inducted into the Derek
Jeter’s Leaders Program,
while one Queens senior
graduated from the
program exemplifying what
it means to be a good role
model citizen.
Louis Annunziata, 18, of
Howard Beach, graduated
from the Derek Jeter Turn
2 Foundation’s New York
Jeter’s Leaders program
during a special ceremony
held on June 27 at Prospect
Park in Brooklyn that
celebrated students’
academic achievements
and welcomed the 2023 class
of leaders.
The five Queens
inductees into the
program include: Jaiwant
Singh, of Rego Park from
Forest Hills High School;
Breanna Rodriguez, of
Ozone Park from FDNY
High School for Fire and
Line Safety; Anayah
Solomon from the High
School for Construction
Trades, Engineering
and Architecture; Sarah
Mancusi from Forest
Hills High School; and
Maliha Jubaed from
Brooklyn Technical
High School.
“Over the past four
years, these students
have continuously gone
above and beyond to
serve as leaders in their
communities and create
positive social change,
and they’ve inspired
other young people to
follow their lead,” said
Jeter. “I’m also excited to
welcome our newest class
of students, and I look
forward to seeing how they
grow and excel throughout
this program.”
Turn 2’s signature
initiative, Jeter’s Leaders
is an intensive four-year
program for high school
students who serve as
ambassadors for Deter
Jeter in their communities.
Established by Jeter in 1996,
the Foundation motivates
youth to rise above
negative influences, lead
healthy lifestyles and serve
as agents of positive social
change. Since its inception,
Turn 2 has served 178 New
York Metropolitan students
through its Jeter’s Leaders
program.
Annunziata, who
attended the Churchill
School and Center, and is
one of eight high school
seniors who graduated
from the Leader’s program,
is heading to Farmingdale
State College this fall.
“I’ve had a lot of good
experiences and it really
prepared me for the real
world,” said Annunziata.
“I’ve definitely learned how
to be a team player because
everyone has to put in the
same amount of work, or
else it’s not really fair, and
you never know that might
happen in college with a
group project.”
Throughout the course
of the program, Annunziata
spent time mentoring
kids, working on group
projects, and community
service projects such as
picking crops on a farm
and painting murals at a
school, he said.
Annunziata plans to
obtain his master’s degree
in business management
and becoming an
entrepreneur. His
message to the class
of 2023:
“Definitely be open to
new ideas and never take
anything for granted in
this program because
this is a once in a
lifetime opportunity and
not many kids get this
chance that you have,”
said Annunziata.
August Martin students fl ying high with scholarships
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The New Terminal One
Team at John F. Kennedy
International Airport took
to the skies on June 27
announcing an innovative
community initiative to
provide flight-training
scholarships to 29 rising
students in the August
Martin High School
Aviation Academy in
Jamaica, as the air travel
industry predicts a global
shortage of pilots in the
future, officials said.
The announcement
comes as The New
Terminal One Team
ramps up its local presence
as part of the JFK
Redevelopment Program, a
$13 billion infrastructure
project underway with the
first phase scheduled for
completion in 2023.
The New Terminal One
Team, collectively known
as the “Consortium,”
comprises operating
and financial partners
led by CAG Holdings
and The Carlyle Group,
JLC Infrastructure, and
Ullico. The Consortium
was selected by the Port
Authority of New York and
New Jersey to undertake
the redevelopment and
expansion of JFK’s
Terminal One. The plan
was first unveiled in Gov.
Andrew Cuomo’s Vision
Plan for JFK in 2017.
The innovative student
flight training initiative
comes as mandatory
retirement and stricter
rules requiring co-pilots
to have more flight time
have industry experts
predicting a need to
fill thousands of pilot
vacancies during the next
several decades. Under
the grant initiative, the 29
students will receive flight
training at the Academy of
Aviation in Farmingdale,
New York, officials said.
Khandakar Shohan, 18,
a senior in the Aviation
Academy whose family
immigrated to New York
from Bangladesh, said the
academy has been a lifechanging
event.
Cashele Brown, 18, also a
senior, expressed gratitude
to the school, the New
Terminal One Team and
the JFK Redevelopment
Program for the flight
training program.
“I want to be a pilot
or an emergency room
physician, but I know
that the training and
guidance I have received
at the Aviation Academy
will help prepare me for
both,” said Brown. “The
flight-training grant and
scholarships are nothing
but a terrific opportunity
for all students in
the program.”
Hadia Ghuman, 17, who
immigrated to New York
from Pakistan with her
family, said the program
will give students a better
opportunity and chance
to reach their goals before
going to college.
August Martin High
School Principal Rory
Parnell, said one of the most
important components of
the Aviation Academy is
that scholars can accrue
actual flight hours in
an aircraft.
The Jeter’s Leaders Class of 2023 inductees with the 2019 graduates. Photo courtesy of Turn 2 Foundation, Inc.
August Martin High School Aviation Academy students were celebrated at the launch of the flight-training scholarship program
at the school. Photo by Margot Jordan/The New Terminal One Team