2012 News

In the Spotlight in the Greene Space:

The Third Scholarship Plus Class

All photos by MARVIN ORELLANA

Students from left, Sino Esthappan, Elira Duro, Raquel Beckford, Eileen Duran and Itzel Delgado. Standing behind: Melanie Rosen Brooks, director, at left, and Soma Golden Behr, executive director.

Jane Leung, a member of the 2011 class who is studying nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, presented a rose to each of the winners.

Laura Walker, chief executive of New York Public Radio, congratulates the new scholarship winners.

Itzel Delgado greets Jessica Taylor of the Young Women's Leadership School in East Harlem.

Sino Esthappan with his teacher Kathleen Hansalik of Susan E. Wagner High School on Staten Island.

Kathleen Hansalik of Susan Wagner High School; Destiny Kangas of Brooklyn Studio Secondary School; Seth Miran of Peace and Diversity Academy in the Bronx; Jessica Taylor of the Young Women's Leadership School and Melissa Cohen of Mott Haven Village Preparatory High School in the Bronx.

Pod pioneers, all active in groups that support individual scholarships: Dr. Laura Schor, Emily Samton, Peter Samton, Pam Vassil and Barbara Appel.

A view from the audience in the Greene Space, New York Public Radio's event space and broadcast studio.

In the audience to greet the new scholarship winners, from left, Esthefany Castillo of the first Scholarship Plus class, and, from the 2011 group, Bryan Mera, Janagan Naahanathan and Leticia Quezada.

Esthefany Castillo, now at Wesleyan, with her boss from her 2010 internship at WNYC, Gisele Regatao, executive producer of news at the station.

Janny Scott, journalist and author, interviews Dr. Laura Schor, the founding dean of City University of New York's Macaulay Honors College.

Leila Shakkour and Mike Thorne, two of the original supporters of Scholarship Plus.

Two former executive editors of The New York Times, Bill Keller, at left, and Joseph Lelyveld.

After being introduced as a new scholarship winner, Eileen Duran speaks with Sone Takahara and Stanley Heckman, longtime supporters of Scholarship Plus, and Stephan Russo, the executive director of the Goddard Riverside Community Center.

Two of Scholarship Plus's supporters, Joyce Purnick, a WNYC contributor and former reporter and editor at The New York Times, and Jon Frankel, a television correspondent and filmmaker.

Scholarship Plus students with New York Public Radio staffers who will oversee their summer internships.

Setting Sail from the Battery

Photographs by Michael J. Leahy

With Battery Park in the background, and flanked by Edward Bonilla, at far left, and Emanuel Gomez, far right, both Seinfeld Scholars, from left, Sino Esthappan, Gregory Scott, Raquel Beckford, Melanie Rosen Brooks, program director, Leticia Quezada and Elira Duro.

Pulling away from shore. Gregory Scott in foreground, with Raquel Beckford and Sino Esthappan.

Photo time as the Statue of Liberty draws near. From left, Gregory Scott, Elira Duro and Leticia Quezada.

Approaching Liberty Island on a calm and almost cloudless voyage from Manhattan.

Photo by Melanie Rosen Brooks

Landfall on Liberty Island.

Through an Artist's Eyes, in His Studio

Photographs by Michael J. Leahy

At his TriBeCa studio, Richard Heinrich welcomes Raquel Beckford, Sino Esthappan, Gregory Scott and Diane Exavier, a New York Times Scholarship Program graduate who has worked in arts education. Edward Bonilla, in yellow shirt, concentrates on the art.

Mr. Heinrich talks about the way his art has evolved over 30 years, using pieces in his studio to illustrate.

"Erratic Russe," part of a new series of sculptures, was recently aged by an application of sulphuric acid.

Photo by Melanie Rosen Brooks

As Mr. Heinrich describes his work, a rapt audience.

Expert Advice on Getting Ready for College

Photo by Melanie Rosen Brooks

Linda Reals of John Jay College leads class in financial literacy and how to search for internships and jobs.

Between Internship and School, a Party

Photographs by Michael J. Leahy

Ellen Marson, a friend of the program, listens as Prince Antwi and Leticia Quezada talk about life at Harvard, where he is a junior and she is a sophomore.

Three members of this year's class about to start college, Elira Duro, Eileen Duran and Itzel Delgado.

From left, Erika Sue, Edward Bonilla, partially obscured, Raquel Beckford, Jayson Jones, Emily Samton, a friend of the program, Sonal Noticewala and Anna Umanskaya, seated on floor.

From left, Sonal Noticewala, starting medical school in California, Santy Barerra, Anna Umanskaya and Leanne Valentin, all Times Scholars, and Elira Duro.

Two Times Scholars, Daphne Lundi, who just received a master's degree in city planning from the University of Texas, and Suvam Paul, about to start a master's in health policy and management at N.Y.U.

The 2012 Scholarship Plus class was welcomed by supporters and members of earlier classes in a ceremony at New York Public Radio's headquarters on June 7th.

A highlight of the event was the introduction of five Teachers Who Make a Difference, each of them nominated by one of the scholarship winners. The teachers, who were introduced to the audience by the students who had nominated them, each received a certificate and, thanks to the generosity of the LLL Foundation, an honorarium.

Several of our students are being sponsored by 'Pods' -- groups of individuals who commit to support of a scholarship for four years.

First, a visit to the office of Warrie Price, President of the Battery Conservancy, where she described how the place where New York began has been reborn. Then, on a brilliant July afternoon, a trip across the harbor to the Statue of Liberty.

After welcoming the group to his home with a delicious table of food and soft drinks, the artist took us into the adjacent studio and described how his work has evolved.

Two sessions on the practicalities of college life were held at the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism.

A party marking the end of the summer internships included a number of New York Times Scholarship winners. The discussion ranged from practical course advice to tips on dealing with roommates.