RACINE Y AWARDS SIXTH

JOSEPH BUCHANAN SCHLORSHIP!

Ashley Sims is the sixth

recipient of the Joseph

Buchanan Scholarship. The

Joseph Buchanan Scholarship

is a four year, full-tuition

scholarship to Carthage

College for a minority high

school student from Racine

that: 1) Graduated from the

Young Leaders Academy and/

or actively participated in

the Y’s Teen Achievers

program during their Junior and Senior years, 2) Has

been accepted for admission to Carthage College, and

3) Has demonstrated the Y’s Core Values of Honesty,

Respect, Responsibility and Caring.

Ashley graduated from Horlick High School 57th in her

class of 415. She has been an active member of the

Y’s Teen Achievers Program and has been a

volunteer, mentor, and role model for members of the

Young Leaders Academy at Wadewitz Elementary

School. In addition, Ashley has also been active in

Yearbook, Student Treasury, and Girls with Goals.

These experiences has given Ashley the tools to

cultivate her ambitions to achieve further education

and be a productive member of her society.

Ashley plans on majoring in Accounting and Computer

Development. Congratulations to Ashley’s parents,

Jermaine and Tina Barry, for rearing a mature,

intelligent, dynamic, and personable young lady who

will continue the efforts of improving herself and the

community around her while attending Carthage.

Previous Joseph Buchanan Scholarship Winners:

Anthony Coleman, Kadeem Liggins, Jamel Garrett,

Olivia Jimenez, and DaZahn Wilkerson.

June 2012

PREVIOUS JOSEPH BUCHANAN

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS GRADUATE!

Congratulations to Kadeem Liggins (left) and Jamel

Garrett on graduating from Carthage College.

Kadeem is a graduate of the Racine Youth Leadership

Academy (currently the Young Leaders Academy) and

was in the RYLA from 3rd through 8th grade. Jamel

participated in the RYLA from 3rd through 6th grade

and was an active member in the Y’s Teen Achievers

Program. Kadeem graduated with a degree in Sports

Management and Jamel earned a degree in History.

FORMER Y TEEN ACHIEVER IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE! For Melvin “MJ” Bridges, Teen Achiever Graduating Class of 2006, triumph and

resilience can define the last six months of his life. May 4, 2012, MJ earned his Master

degree! MJ wrote in an email to the Y, “I cannot help but to think how far I have come

from in my personal life and my upbringing in Racine, WI.”

After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Alabama State University,

MJ moved to Indianapolis to earn his Master of Arts in education at the University of

Indianapolis as a 2010 mathematics fellow for the Woodrow Wilson Indiana

Teaching Fellowship Program. While earning is Masters Degree, MJ learned how to

become an effective urban high school mathematics teacher.

Th i s s choo l yea r , MJ taught a t th ree schoo l s ; two

traditional schools and one online school. He teaches full-time for Indiana’s largest high school and part-time at

the other two schools. At the online school, which is Indiana’s first public virtual high school, MJ received the

Teacher Make a Difference Award twice and was recently named Teacher of the Year!

During his spare time, MJ is working towards the launch of his new organization, I.am.myHBCU. His

organization’s mission will be to expose African-American male students to Historically Black Colleges by

sponsoring an annual college tour for specific college bound students. MJ plans to have a satellite

location of this organization in Racine fall of 2013.

His ultimate goal is to become a college Professor, Dean or President. MJ plans to continue to teach and return to

school to earn his Ph.D.

Y-USA HELPS HISPANIC FAMILIES

DEVELOP HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGES

The Racine Family Y received a small grant from the

YMCA of the USA to pilot Salsa Sabor y Salud (SSyS)

for Racine’s Hispanic Community. Ssys was developed

to improve awareness of habits leading to better

nutrition and increased physical activity for Latino

families with children 12 and younger.

The Racine Y’s first group started April 7th with over

50 Hispanic participants enrolled and ended June 2nd.

The next session will begin July 7th. The goal is to

reach at least 100 Hispanics with SSyS to celebrate

traditions, talk about the foods they eat every day.

For more information, call 262-880-1412.

$30,000 RAISED AT EVENING

FUNDRAISER

The Y’s Strong Communities Agenda Advisory Board

raised $30,000 at an evening fundraiser held at the

Johnson Foundation at Wingspread on November 12,

2011. The purpose of this fundraiser was to raise funds

to support the Y’s Urban Programming Initiative called

the Strong Communities Agenda.

The Strong Communities Agenda provides a range of

programs dedicated to increasing the strength and

effectiveness of community life and improving local

conditions, especially for youth in disadvantage

situations. Funds raised will help expand the Young

Leaders Academy and the Focus on Fathers Initiative.

For more information about the Y’s Strong Communities

Agenda, please call Zakee Darr at 262-898-4762.