YONKERS, NY -- On Wednesday, December 11th, STEER hosted it's 6th Annual Holiday Dinner to recognize another successful year for STEER student-athletes, advisors, families, staff, and partners. From Port Chester to Yonkers to the Bronx, the organization brought together it's 4 schools for a night of reflection, acknowledgment, and inspiration.

The night began with an address from STEER's Chief Model Officer, Joe Durney, to welcome and recognize many of the familiar faces in the room. First and foremost, the student-athletes and families, who by virtue of their actions and commitment to improvement determine how successful STEER programs can be. As important as the students and families we serve are the STEER Advisors who mentor and provide services to the student-athletes from induction into the program until high school graduation.

Additionally, Durney welcomed community partners from all over Westchester County, including representatives from Carver Center, Purchase College Athletics, Sylvan Learning Center, Port Chester Community Gardens, the Port Chester Board of Education, the Port Chester Village Board of Trustees, My Sister’s Place, the Old Oaks Charity Foundation, and the Agatha Durland Foundation.
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As the night moved on, STEER Advisors introduced and inducted 11 new student-athletes into the program from Port Chester High School, Palisade Preparatory School (Yonkers), and Careers in Sports High School (Bronx). These young people demonstrated commitment, desire, and the need to be involved in STEER programming. All 11 of the new students are paired with a STEER Advisor and receive individualized support services. These students join a community of over 100 STEER student-athletes who are either currently receiving services or have graduated from high school. 
Amongst this incredible community are 4 STEER students who addressed the over 200 people in attendance at the event. Lesly Morocho, a senior at Port Chester High School spoke first and told us of the mindfulness jars she created through Advisory Council for Empowering Girls programming. Morocho says “we filled our jars with glitter in all different colors; the colors signified my destiny, my loves, my goals, and my confidence. When I shake the jar it also symbolizes everything STEER has the ability to do for me.”

Next up came Bryonna Truss, a junior at Palisade Preparatory School, who spoke with wisdom about the values of giving when she said, “Some people feel they need to give to others in hopes of karma blessing them in a good way. But giving is something that comes from within you. You’re supposed to give from your heart. Don’t give because you know good fortune is coming back your way. Give to make someone warm at night, or go to sleep at night without an empty stomach. We should all give to one another so we can all grow as one.”

Following Bryonna was Angel Leon, a junior at Careers in Sports High School, who gave an empowering and motivating address to the room. Leon said “Always remember that hard work triumphs all, and never stop working until you achieve your goals and everything you want in life. Always strive to be the best version of yourself.”

Last but certainly not least came Ashley Garcia, a sophomore at Port Chester High School, who spoke to her experiences at STEER and the importance of her family: “They have always had my back at every soccer game and through every injury. I am grateful to have such strong and hardworking parents and to have grown up with two older brothers who have taught me how to not let hard obstacles determine my faith. I am especially blessed to have had a brother who showed me to be a caring person and to help others. I will always keep that trait alive even if he might not be. I truly love every single one of my family members with all my heart.”

The students were followed by the night's keynote speaker, Tony Chiles. Chiles is a product of New York City, more specifically the Highbridge section of the Bronx. He attended All Hallows High School, where in addition to being the school’s valedictorian, he captained the Gaels to the New York State Championship his senior year.  Chiles chose to take his talents to Columbia University after receiving many scholarship offers. He lettered in basketball for four years at the Ivy League institution, accumulating assists records that stand to this day, all the while also achieving academic status as a member of the Dean’s List. 

After college, Chiles has actively been involved as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, mentor, and college coach. Over a 24 year span, he has coached at some of the nation’s most prominent institutions including, St. John’s, Tulane, Fordham, Iona, Drexel and Manhattan College. 

Additionally, Tony is a central figure in the true-life tale depicted in his brother’s book; The Crack Era: The Rise, Fall & Redemption of Kevin Chiles. Tony continues to positively influence the lives of those he comes across and welcomes the opportunity to share his journey that has been filled with many lows amongst the highs, yet always viewed in an optimistic light of the promise we all possess.

The night ended with a raffle where students, families, and partners had the chance to win gift cards, a signed Edson Buddle soccer ball, and much more. Two STEER student-athletes from Palisade Preparatory won the nights grand prize, a 38-inch smart TV that was provided to STEER at no-cost!

An enormous thank you to the student-athletes, families, advisors, partners, staff, board, and donors who made this event possible! It is only with the support of these individuals that we are able to advance the mission while expanding our reach.

Click here to check out some pictures from the night!

The New York State Council on Women and Girls will be honoring female high school athletes from across the State who are planning to participate in athletics while in college. The event, part of Governor Cuomo’s Celebration of Women in NYS, will take place when the WNBA’s New York Liberty take on the Connecticut Sun at the Times Union Center in Albany on May 19, 2019 at 2:00pm. 

Student honorees will have the opportunity to participate in a reception with players and women leaders from across the State and a half-time on-court ceremony. In addition, honorees’ names, their high school, the sport they will be playing, and the college they will attending will appear on the continuous ticker in the arena throughout the game.

STEER student athlete Ayenaliz Velasquez is an honor student and a two-sport varsity athlete at Port Chester High School. She was an outstanding player on the Soccer Team and two-year co-captain of the Track and Field Team. She achieved a new personal record in her main event, the long jump, in May 2019. At 5’2” she jumped 17’2”. Not only does she plan to continue her success athletically at Ithaca College next Fall but she is excited to continue her academic studies as an Athletic Training Major. Ayenaliz is passionate about helping others and giving back to her community! She also has embraced her musical talent throughout her high school career. She plays the trumpet and is Drum Major of the Port Chester High School Marching Band. She is also a leader of the STEER for Student Athletes Program.

Congratulations Ayenaliz “Nani” Velasquez, for all your accomplishments! You have made 
STEER proud in your time in the program.

On Saturday, May 11th, 2019, STEER hosted its first College Fair in partnership with the Carver Center’s teen program in Port Chester, NY. In the past, STEER has facilitated events centered around the college process but this was this was the
organization’s first time sponsoring an event of the sort. “Accessibility, in terms of location and subject matter, for our student-athletes is something we always keep in mind when developing programming,” says Susana Garcia, Assistant Student Support Administrator at STEER. ‘It’s really exciting to bring a college networking opportunity directly into one of the communities we serve.”

The college fair encouraged the STEER student-athletes to connect with representatives from schools in the tri-state area including: Monroe College, Keane University, The University of New Haven, LaGuardia Community College, Westchester Community College and SUNY Purchase. In addition to speaking with admissions representatives, local college undergraduates were present at the event to speak about their experiences as current students. Among the college volunteers present was STEER graduate, Karmen Pantoja, a current sophomore at Chapman University in California. Karmen spoke about her experiences transitioning to college life, her recent return from a semester abroad in Rome, and her current search for a summer internship in the political science field.

After our student-athletes spent time speaking to representatives and volunteers Purchase College Athletic Director, Chris Bisignano and his team of college coaches, spoke about the college admissions process, and how to avoid pitfalls when navigating the recruiting and admissions process. Bisignano and his coaches placed emphasis on the importance of academic excellence and character when it comes to recruiting. Following the Purchase team, current soccer players at Westchester Community College answered questions for our student-athletes, including what a college training schedule looks like, how they manage academic and sports, and what extracurriculars they are involved in after college.