T E S T I M O N I A L S

Coming from a relatively sheltered community in Brooklyn, I was naturally apprehensive about joining a program whose participants would be so different from myself. During the meetings, workshops and seminars at Youthbridge, however, I learned that most differences between teens are superficial; deeper down we all have similar goals, values and interests. Thanks to Youthbridge, I feel more confident with regards to making friends and handling real-world issues, especially in an academic and work environment. - Akiva Blander: YB-NY '11; McGill University '16

Empowered by the tremendous workplace foundation I received during my YouthBridge-NY Fellowship, I am currently working as a campus reporter for FOX News’ collegiate affiliate, FNCU. I participated in the Engaging Workplace Diversity program as a YouthBridge-NY Fellow in 2008-2009. Part of that program entailed a six-month summer internship, which I spent at Fox News. I spent the next three summers returning to FOX and building on that first initial internship.Four years later, I am currently working at delivering my own interesting and compelling content in a stimulating form. I bring FOX’s viewer attention to the amazing activity at Columbia University and draw upon my skills at script drafting, footage compressing and programming that I learned from my four summer internships at Fox. I act the part of roving reporter, preparing my commentary and getting a rare glimpse into the Columbia University scene’s attention-grabbing stories and on-location events. I credit YouthBridge-NY‘s uncompromising commitment to cultivating and training the leaders of tomorrow for helping me, in particular, recognize and develop my potential as a broadcast journalist-Jacqueline Bryk, YB-NY '09; Columbia University ‘13

I joined YouthBridge-NY in 2006. One of my friends from school told me about a leadership and diversity program he was part of. I asked him about the application process and he told me it had passed already and I should wait for next year. However, I would not take no for an answer and decided to call the people in charge until they let me join. After the 3rd or 4th phone call they decided to interview me and allowed me to join the program.This was one of the best choices of my life. Not only did I make great friends and professional contacts, but more importantly, I gained valuable leadership skills that I put into effect every day of my life. I learned the true value of diversity in the workplace as well as how to interact with CEO's and government officials in order to build connections that will help pave the road for a brighter future.Overall, my experience with YouthBridge-NY was incredible. So much so, that I am now working with CAUSE-NY and am part of the YouthBridge-NY staff. - Santiago Mueckay: YB-NY '09;
Macaulay Honors Program at Baruch College '13

As a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, I have had many valuable experiences over the past 3 years. I can't help but think of the influence YouthBridge-NY has helped in shaping those experiences. Most concretely, YouthBridge provided me with my first internship, an incredible paid opportunity working for New York City Council, which has led to other career opportunities. More importantly though, YouthBridge gave me the leaderships skills, confidence and poise to lead multiple student organizations at my school while at the same time teaching me how not only respect but connect with peers who come from vastly different backgrounds, I still have close friends at other schools that I made through YouthBridge with whom I keep in touch and we share a deep commitment to understanding diversity and honing leadership. Overall, YouthBridge enhanced my high school experience through providing tangible assets for leadership development and community building which have shaped who I am to this day. - Sam Gersten: YB-NY'10; University of Pennsylvania '14

Youthbridge was an exciting time during my Senior year, that I still think about today. Not only did I get a chance to meet some of the bright emerging leaders from across NYC but we were able to visit and explore some amazing spots all around the city. For example, one of the personal highlights for me was getting the chance to visit Gracie Mansion for an event where Michael Bloomberg was honoring Israel's Independence day. It was such a unique opportunity that I do not believe will come again soon (if ever). It is awesome that years down the road I can still say I got the chance to meet some great people, and be invited to events that most high-schoolers (let alone adults) rarely get the chance to participate.
 - Lyubov Zeylikman: YB-NY '08; Carnegie Mellon University '12

As a sophomore at Yale, I can reflect back to four years ago when I just joined YouthBridge-NY. I wasn't sure what kind of community program I wanted to join, and so I searched for broad terms such as outreach and leadership programs. At first I could not conceptualize what leadership training meant and what kind of lessons Youthbridge-NY had to offer. With the guidance of YouthBridge-NY coordinators, we learned to plan events such as high school conferences, write funding proposals, and work with other non-profit organizations. After meeting with other non-profit organizations in New York City, I was impressed by the network of activists working to make an impact on their community. By networking with these community activists, I was able to reach out and invite a speaker to Yale's Asian American Student's Alliance high school conference. As the current co-moderator of the Asian American Student's Alliance (AASA) I wanted to invite a veteran community activist to inspire high school students to initiate a positive change in their communities. One of my goals as the co-moderator of AASA is to spread awareness of political issues in the Asian American community. I am appreciative of the experience that I gained from being a YouthBridge-NY Fellow. - Stella Cao: YN-NY '10; Yale '14

All my life, I believed that leadership was an innate quality, a natural gift bestowed on the charismatic, the articulate, the eloquent, and the cultured. As a stereotypically bookish, introverted, awkward, and tonguetwisted Asian-American boy, I'd long since consigned myself to being a follower. In spite of this skepticism, I applied and was accepted to the program. And fortunately, my beliefs about leadership were proven very, very wrong. It wasn't long before I understood that leadership is earned and cultivated. It doesn't necessarily belong to the individual who talks the prettiest or the loudest. It belongs to the individual who is motivated to do what others are unwilling or unable to do. And YouthBridge-NY provided me so many opportunities to cultivate this skill, whether it was asking me to make a public statement at Borough Hall on behalf of youth against an awful hate crime…or giving my input real weight in a grantmaking process. Had YouthBridge-NY not encouraged me to always step up and take charge, I likely would have been content going through high school in relative anonymity. Instead, I was inspired to dream big and become more, and that made all the difference. - Victor Wong: YB-NY '07; Harvard University '11

I entered the program as an awkward, reserved sophomore with little sense of what it meant to be a leader and how to make a difference within my community. I remember how anxious I felt during the first meeting and can still feel the palpable embarrassment running through me when it was my turn to speak. Fast forward two years and I have changed dramatically, through the guidance of passionate staff members and activities attuned to my interests. Gone is the pimply teenager spooked by his own voice, replaced instead by a leader brimming with self-confidence and possessing the necessary tools to achieve whatever I set my mind to. The best thing about YouthBridge-NY is that it has something for everyone. For me, it was getting the chance to meet prominent members of the city…and learning about local and global issues. The fellowship gave me the opportunity to meet some of the most inspiring and interesting people in my life, many of whom I still have the pleasure of calling my friends today. My time there was invaluable, and I can only imagine it growing and becoming more impactful in the coming years. I am truly excited to see the amazing things the program will accomplish next. - Sean Wong:
YB-NY '10; Columbia University '14