HYS Newsletters

MARCH 2021   •   MAY 2021    •     JULY 2021   •   OCTOBER  2021  •  DECEMBER  2021 • MARCH 2022

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OCTOBER 2021 NEWSLETTER 

Start of the Fall Academy    

List of Cohort 10 attending colleges and universities

With the beginning of the fall season came the start of the fall semester for The Collegiate Academy. Scholars, families, staff, and instructors gathered for a virtual orientation on September 18th, which was led by the new Academy Dean, Santiago Vidales, PhD, in addition to the Assistant Academy Dean, Mercy Yalartai. 


The event was conducted in both English and Spanish, introducing Scholars and their families, both new and returning, to the inner workings of the Collegiate Academy, including the calendar of cultural and academic events for the fall and spring semesters. Also in attendance at the event were the Collegiate Academy instructors for the 2021-2022 academic year: Ms. Piper, Mr. Mayungbo and Ms. Orie. 


Ms. Piper is the English Instructor for the Collegiate Academy, and has been with HYS in this capacity since 2019. She is a Connecticut native, and holds a degree from The University of Connecticut as well as a Master’s in English Education from Boston University. Outside of her work with HYS, Miss Piper works as a second-year Public Ally with Public Allies Connecticut, and as the Academic Coordinator for Higher Heights Youth Empowerment Programs in New Haven. She is also a poet, and her work has been published in Funicular Magazine, The Connecticut River Review, and is forthcoming in Black Fox Literary Magazine. 

 

Mr. Mayungbo is the Mathematics Instructor for the Collegiate Academy and has been with HYS since the summer of 2019. Educated at the University of Albany, Mr. Mayungbo has a passion for fostering life-long learning within his students. In his over ten years as an educator, Mr. Mayungbo has worked as both an Elementary School Instructor and a Math Instructor for grades 2-8 in highly successful schools in both Connecticut and New York. 

 

Ms. Orie is the Science and STEM Instructor for the Collegiate Academy, and has been with HYS for five years as an instructor in the Summer Academy and for the past three years during the academic year as well. She was educated at Trinity College in Hartford, and outside of her work with HYS she is a former pharmaceutical research scientist, and is now a Science Teacher at Breakthrough II Magnet School in Hartford. 

 

The first day of the fall semester for The Collegiate Academy was held on Saturday, September 25th, where approximately 25 eight graders and 34 seventh graders attended English, Math and Science classes. Scholars were able to attend both virtually and in-person, in a new hybrid model that will allow a rotating group of students to attend in-person classes in the HYS Office each Saturday. The fall semester of The Collegiate Academy will continue through Saturday, December 18th, before concluding for winter break and then returning for spring semester orientation on Saturday, February 5th, 2022.

Fall Academy: Beyond The Books intersects academics and cultural/outdoor experiences

In the 2021-2022 academic year, HYS will be introducing a series of events for Scholars in The Collegiate Academy called Beyond The Books. These in-person events will combine both academic, cultural, and outdoor experiences throughout the year. The goal is for Scholars to immerse themselves in cultural and nature-centered events that connect to their academic work in The Collegiate Academy.


Scholars participate in Beyond The Books events with other students in their grade-specific sections (7A, 7B, 8A or 8B). All vaccinated Scholars are welcome to participate, and any unvaccinated Scholars who would like to participate should contact Assistant Dean Mercy Yalartai at myalartai@hartfordyouthscholars.org for more information.


The first Beyond The Books event took place on September 25th. Students in Section 7A were invited to hike Case Mountain in Manchester. The event was a success, with multiple students attending the hike along with HYS Staff. Dean Vidales and Assistant Dean Yalartai noted that the experience was both informative and fun for all involved: “After we wrapped up the Academy day, scholars took the bus to Case Mountain and hiked to the summit; we explored the forest, learned about trail markers, and took pictures with the Hartford skyline in the background.”


The Beyond The Book Events give Scholars the opportunity to connect with their peers in-person, in a safe and exciting environment. Scholars will enjoy nature, local museums, and intriguing films alongside their cohort throughout the year. The full schedule of the Beyond The Book Events for the fall semester can be found on our website, and event details will be provided by HYS Staff to Scholars and their families via email.
Announcing... Summer Academy Awards

Hartford Youth Scholars is excited to announce that the following Scholars have been selected for their 2020-2021 awards, including subject-specific honors, as well as the Scholars of the Year awards! 


English/Literature Award: Michkael McKenzie

Math Award: Ashley Triumph 

Science Award: Janise James 

Civics Award: Gabriella Rojas-Lebron 

Spanish Award: Christian Gordon 

History Award: Jordan Russell 

 

The Scholars of The Year Honors were awarded to:

7th Grade Scholar: Will Vazquez

8th Grade Scholar: Andre DeCunha

9th Grade Scholar: Jordan Russell

 

     An awards ceremony will be held during the fall semester, with more details to follow. 

Armanthia Duncan begins as HYS Chief Program Officer

HYS Application flyer

On August 1st, Armanthia Duncan was named to succeed Chief Program Officer Garth Adams in his role. It is with great enthusiasm that HYS was able to make this promotion internally. 

 

Garth Adams, who has been the Chief Program Officer of HYS since 2013, will be moving on to the position of Director of Athletics at The Bancroft School in Worcester, Massachusetts. In his parting letter, Adams thanked his HYS colleagues, as well as the staff, families, and in particular - the scholars - for making his time with HYS so remarkable: “I am so proud of each of you and all that you have accomplished. Getting to know you and your families has been one of the true joys of my life. I will miss you all dearly and will forever think fondly of our time together at HYS. Please know that I remain available to you and will help in any way that I can.” 

 

Miss Duncan has been a part of the HYS family for nearly 10 years, joining the team as an instructor of History in the summer or 2013, teaching Cohort 6. During her time as an instructor she grew more and more devoted to the Scholars and the program itself. Miss Duncan was a mainstay at the Collegiate Academy each summer but one, teaching challenging and immensely popular classes.

 

In 2019 she became a full-time staff member when she was named to the position of Dean of the Collegiate Academy, where she was a truly dynamic addition to the organization and to the greater Hartford community. Many positive changes took place under her direction, allowing HYS to continue to meet the needs of Scholars and families in both practical and innovative ways.

 

Her vision for the academic success of Hartford’s youth, along with her impressive academic credentials and distinguished service as the Collegiate Academy Dean made her the perfect addition at the right time in the evolution of HYS. As we work to recruit Cohort 15, it is immensely beneficial to have someone of her caliber leading programing.

 

In her own words, Miss Duncan reiterated her well-wishes for Mr. Adams and her excitement over her new role with HYS, “I will miss my colleague, Mr. Adams tremendously, but am eager to dive into leadership at this organization that has stolen my heart.”

Meet the new HYS Staff! Dr. Santi Vidales and Ms. Elaney Ortiz

Meet DR. SANTIAGO VIDALES,  the new HYS Academy Dean

Photo of Keynote Speaker, Mark Overmyer-Velasquez

In September, HYS welcomed Dr. Santiago Vidales as the new Academy Dean of The Collegiate Academy. Dean Vidales succeeds Armanthia Duncan in this role, as she moves into the position of Chief Program Officer. 


Dean Vidales, was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and also lived in Germany and Virginia during his formative years. He was educated at The University of Massachusetts, where he most recently earned a PhD in Latin American and Latinx Cultural Studies with an emphasis in Chicano and Vanguard poetry from the twentieth century. Dean Vidales became familiar with the work and mission of HYS through his connection to former Dean Armanthia Duncan, a longtime colleague and friend, and was offered the opportunity to succeed her in the role of Academy Dean just a few weeks ago, prior to the start of fall academy. In our conversation with Dean Vidales, we spoke with him about his new role, the exciting changes he is making, his advice for incoming scholars and his passion for education and the HYS community. 

Interview with Dean Santi

HYS: You were hired at the end of August to succeed former Dean Armanthia Duncan in this role, how has the beginning of the semester been so far?

Dean Vidales: By the end of August I was officially welcomed to the team, and there was immediately a lot of work to do to get ready for the fall academy, and I think it has been really successful. Saturday [September 25th] was our first official day of the academy, and other than a couple internet glitches everything went really, really well.

 

HYS: In this new role, what are you the most excited to take on this year?

Dean Vidales: I am really excited to get to know everyone. We have a very strong team, especially my Assistant Dean, Mercy Yalartai, we work really well together. We are both focused on making sure that we are maintaining the best practices that HYS has already developed, and maintaining consistency in this moment of transition that we are in now. I have known Armanthia Duncan for a really long time, and I have a sense of what her vision has been for this project, so making sure that we are maintaining the infrastructure that has been established is very important, that our Scholars are having successful semesters and summers and are able to get into the best possible high school for them and eventually the best possible university. I am also excited to start to add my own touch and my own sense of creativity to the position - which I have already started to do with the Beyond The Books Events.

 

HYS: Tell me more about the Beyond The Books Events, what will they look like?

Dean Vidales: I’ve always enjoyed going to museums, growing up outside of DC I was able to go to the Smithsonian with some frequency, and it was always a given as I was growing up that going to a museum would be easy - so one of my projects with the Beyond The Books Events has been making sure that we have several field trips to local museums in place, to make sure that our Scholars are familiar with the many museums and cultural resources that we have here in Hartford. With the aim of HYS being for students to graduate from universities and to return to Hartford as professionals, if I can plant the seeds of them seeing these cultural spaces, having it in the back of their mind, and eventually returning to work in these cultural spaces, I think that would be a wonderful, cyclical way of understanding our Beyond The Books Events.

 

HYS: These events also involve time spent in nature, which is what the first Beyond The Books Event was all about. How did that go?

Dean Vidales: It went really well, we went on a hike up Case Mountain in Manchester, so it wasn’t a very long hike, but it was a little steep. I don’t believe that any of the Scholars who came with us had ever really been hiking before, so it was a really nice experience. We learned a bit about basic trail etiquette, being aware of where the trails are and following them, and we saw a lot of wild plants and mushrooms. Then we got to the top of the mountain where there was a huge view of the Hartford skyline in the background. I think it’s important to combine cultural opportunities that the city offers with access to nature and these kinds of trips, because getting into nature is an opportunity that HYS would really like to provide to the Scholars.

 

HYS: What advice do you have for new and potential HYS Scholars?

Dean Vidales: Given that the project of HYS is to support Scholars as they become rising 7th and 8th graders, and beyond into high school and college, building those connections with your cohort and your fellow Scholars to start the process of networking and having relationships early is very important. Our Scholars go on to top institutions and really good colleges, so having a sense that from age 11 or 12 that these relationships can bear out for your career and your studies many years later is vital. Also to establish their relationships with us, to establish strong bonds with the staff here at HYS so that if ever something comes up, they know where to turn. It’s important to go beyond the day-to-day classwork and exams so that Scholars feel that they have a community of support, and that they can support each other as they navigate through academy, high school, and college.


HYS: Outside of your work with HYS, what are your hobbies and interests?

Dean Vidales: When I’m not here in the office, I love mountain biking, it’s probably my biggest passion. I’m really lucky that the area has a lot of natural parks and forests that I can go riding in, so I have been really excited about that. My love for nature is partially expressed in the Beyond The Books events, and is also something I find a lot of joy in.

 

HYS: Is there anything else you would like the Scholars and their families to know about you, or about your plans for the Collegiate Academy?

Dean Vidales: I am new in the city, and new to HYS, and it has been a real pleasure to get to meet everyone: the faculty, the rest of the team in the office, the parents and the Scholars. I very quickly feel like I am becoming a part of this community, and I feel very supported by everyone. I am so excited about the fall and spring academy, and hopefully being back in-person for the summer of 2022. I’m excited to take on this new role, and as each day goes by, to gain a better sense of our Scholars and establish those connections with them. As I told some of the new 7th graders, I’m looking forward to the next ten years, and I hope to be here for a long time.


Scholar Update & New HYS Staff:

Elaney Ortiz

HYS Assistant Director of Scholar Success

Please join us in welcoming our newest HYS Staff member,

Elaney Ortiz, HYS Cohort 6 Scholar!

ELANEY ORTIZ is the newest addition to our HYS staff! Ms. Ortiz is now a part of the High School & College Success team as the Assistant Director of Scholar Success. She is also a HYS Scholar of Cohort 6. Ms. Ortiz is a graduate of Scripps College in Class of ’21 with a B.A. in Psychology with a focus on developmental and organizational psychology. She will be working with our rising 9th grade through 11th grade Scholars and their families, helping to prepare them for their journey through high school. 

 

Ms. Ortiz has a vast knowledge about private, boarding, public, and magnet schools within the Hartford area and shares a connection with our high schoolers, having been on their path not too long ago. She brings a wealth of experience having held leadership roles in a variety of jobs throughout high school and college. Ms. Ortiz focused on helping students like herself when she worked for the Youth Mentoring Action Network in California. She took on the task of revitalizing their College ABC’s program, leading one-on-one support of 35 low-income area students with college applications and helping them craft compelling personal statements and high school resumes. She has managed teams of young people and in student-family relation and is prepared to guide each HYS family and their Scholar through the admissions process to college graduation day.
WATCH THE VIDEO INTERVIEW

A SPECIAL THANK YOU!

Longtime HYS supporters and founders of the Gawlicki Family Foundation, Ted and Mary Gawlicki are excited to announce that they have recently funded the expansion of a staff position with HYS, The Assistant Director of Scholar Success, which has allowed HYS to expand their efforts on behalf of Scholars and their families in Hartford.


Ted Gawlicki spoke to the importance of the expansion, reiterating that a robust and high-quality staff is essential to the success of the HYS mission: “HYS Staff assist scholars in gaining admission to college and are essential to the process of training them through the Collegiate Academy to be prepared to succeed.”


Elaney Ortiz, a graduate of Scripps College and a member of HYS Cohort 6 has been given the position. In the role, she will be working with high school Scholars and their families, helping to prepare them for their journeys through high school and on to college.


For more information about the Gawlicki Family Foundation visit their website at www.wefundforward.org
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