2023 MVYouth Annual Report

MISSION

EXPANSION GRANTS

Capital fundingfor exceptional organizations servingchildren,teensandyoungadultsonMartha'sVineyard.

EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Educational andtechnical trainingscholarships for deservinghighschool seniors andyoungadultsonMartha'sVineyard.

LETTER CO-CHAIRS fromthe

DEAR FOUNDERS, DONORSAND FRIENDS,

Withthesupport of 99 Founders,inour first 9 years, wehaveinvested$14 5 millionin90 studentsand 19 organizations Thesenumbersareatestament tothe resoundingsuccessof our fundingefforts Wehave attractedandretaineddonor support,wehave partneredwithlocal youth-servingorganizationsto support their expansions,and wehaveprovided studentswithneededfundingtopursuetheir educational aspirationsdebt-free.Thiswasour charter ondayoneand it continuestoguideustoday asweenter our 10thyear of operations

Theloyal andgeneroussupport of our Foundershas beenthekeytodeliveringour missiontosupport the Martha?sVineyardcommunity by investinginits youngpeople Engagingdonorswhounderstandthat makingamulti-year pledgeallowsMVYouthtolook not only at what community support isneededtoday, but alsointhecomingyears.

Wehavepartneredwithdevotedstaff at our local non-profit organizationstosupport theexpansionof programsthat serveour children,teensandyoung adults Oftenwearingmany hats,theseprofessionals fundraise,imagine,organize,oversee,implement and improvetheopportunitiesavailabletoIsland families.They respondtoemergingneedsandare constantly evolvingtomeet new challenges Together wehaveforgedpartnershipsthat have wovenapowerful web of youthservicesonMartha?s Vineyard

Maintainingcontact withtheyoungpeoplewehave supportedwitheducational scholarshipshas revealedthetwistsandturnsof growingup Innine yearswehavewitnessedtheevolutionof 18-year-old highschool seniorsbecoming27-year-oldyoung adults Inthepagesthat follow,youcanreadabout

JANUARY 2024

their experiencesnavigatingtheworldand learning about themselves Theseyoungpeoplearesmart, motivatedand gracious Thescholarshipswe've providedhavelaunchedthemintotheir next chapterswithout theburdenof debt Thishasbeena gift

Our Advisory Boardinvestshoursreading, discussing,interviewingandformulating recommendationsabout whichprojectsandstudents they recommendthat MVYouth supportseachyear. They areagroupof thoughtful and fair community memberswhohavedevelopedawonderful chemistry Wewant tothank JimWeissfor hismany yearsof stalwart serviceasanAdvisory Board member Hewill bemissed

Our Boardof Trusteeshassteadily expandedour Founder group,attracting75 Founderstosupport MVYouthin2023 Our Trusteeshavedevelopedthe policiesand practicesnecessary toresponsibly managethegenerousinvestment and trust of our Foundersand donors Thisyear,wedevelopedan investment committeeledby SteveBarnesandBob Higginstocapitalizeonfundsearmarkedfor organizationsandscholarshipsbut still awaiting payout

Lookingaheadwearethrilledtoseemultiple,large capital projectsreadyingtosubmit last-dollar fundingrequeststoMVYouth inOctober Weare eager toreview their plansand continueto generouslysupport theyouth-servingcommunity Andasalways,thereisanew groupof youngpeople readyingtograduateand taketheir next bigsteps

Thanksfor beingapart of this?every oneof you

JIM SWARTZ AND DAN STANTON

BOARD TRUSTEES of

DAVID FIALKOW

JIM SWARTZ CO-FOUNDER, CO-CHAIR

MIMI HAAS

STEVE BARNES

DREW CONWAY

RON RAPPAPORT

CINDY DOYLE

WAYNE BUDD

DAN STANTON CO-FOUNDER, CO-CHAIR

BOB HIGGINS

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

ADVISORY BOARD

GEORGE DAVIS

JANE SEAGRAVE

MEG BODNAR

BRIAN MACKEY

DUNCAN PICKARD

JIM WEISS

LIZ PICKMAN

RON RAPPAPORT CHAIR

JULIANA GERMANI

ANNIE OLLEN

CHRONOLOGY of MVYOUTH

Anonymous

Amy Aronson

Laurence& AdeleBacow

Max& BethBardeen

Jonathan& Jennifer Blum

JoshBrosens

Audrey McNiff & TimCohan

Joe& AmyCooper

Bob& ChrisCox

ToddDagres

DickinsonFamily Foundation

Donaroma'sNursery

LindaFairstein& Michael Goldberg

Lisa& GaryFoster

IrisFreeman& WarrenWoessner

Ted& Kathi-AnnGage

Beth& MarcGoldberg

FOUNDERS and

FOUNDERS

DONORS

Howard& NevaGoldstein

Jill Goodman & Bill Swartz

Jessica& Matthew Harris

Glenn& DeborahHutchins

JacobusFamily Foundation

KatamaBuilders

Jeffrey Keswin

LandVest Real Estate

Peter & KarenLawson-Johnston

David & JulieLeibman

Bill & Carol Lewis

Mark & LaurieLucier

Ed& Kathy Ludwig

Paul & MaraMajane

Drew & KatherineMarcus

Josh& Alex McCall

Brian& VictoriaMeany

Bryan & TaraMeehan

DianeNordin

Frank

Christopher Quick

RadiusConstruction,Inc

Alan& Jill Rappaport

Doug& PattySacks

Richard& Betsy Sheerr

RichardSalomonFamily Foundation

SouthMountainCompany

Mick Walsdorf

Steve& EllieWise

Steve& AnnYanez

Yellow Productions

PatriciaBacon& Jeff Zack

OPERATING REPORTS

MVYouth'sfinancial statementsareauditedannuallyby Gerstle, RosenandGoldenberg,PA All expenseslistedbelow wereincurred betweenJanuary1 - December 31,2023

OPERATING INCOME

Wheninterest ratesstartedrisinglast year,weinvestedfundsearmarkedfor grantsand scholarships,but not yet disbursed.Theincomefromtheseinvestmentswassubstantial enough tooffset theannual operatingexpensesthisyear Asaresult,wewereinapositiontonot pass alongany bill toour Founders Remaininginvestment incomewill berolledforwardto2024

PRESS 2023

Christopher Jaret Aring-Sharkovitzdied Jan 18 duetocomplicationsfromacombined heart-liver transplant Hewas26 yearsold

A steadfastly kind,happy andgenerousperson,Chrisdreamedbig,livedlifewithout hesitationand never gaveinto negativity Hehad awide,bright smilethat lit uparoom,andheimpressedeveryonehemet withhishumor and optimism.Theywerecharacteristicsthat mayhaveseemedat oddswithsomeonefacingalifetimeof seriousmedical issuesbut wereinsteadstrengthenedby thosecircumstances Chris,after all,never knew any other way

Soonafter birth,hewasdiagnosedwithhypoplasticleft heart syndrome,acongenital disorder that afflictsjust .02% of Americans.Childrenwiththisconditiontypically havelessthana1%chanceof livingpast their first year.Although heenduredthreeopen-heart surgeriesinthefirst threeyearsof hislifeandknew that hewould eventually requirea transplant,Chriswent ontoenjoy anormal,healthy childhood andadolescence Henever took hisgoodfortunefor granted

AsayoungchildgrowinguponMartha?sVineyard,Chriswowed everyoneat theWest Tisbury School withhis cutenessand cheer Hedefiedhisdoctors?expectationsby playingLittleLeague;engagingincountlessbackyard wiffleball games;andenjoyinghair-raisingridesonaninner tubeattachedto hisdad?scar Heexceededeveryone?s expectationswhen,asaprecociousnineandten-year-old,hetaught summer LegoroboticsclinicsontheIsland.

By thetimeChrisentered Martha?sVineyardRegional HighSchool,hehadbegunamassingfriends,interestsand accoladesat thepaceof someonewho knew that lifewasagift.Hebecameadedicatedparticipant of theMartha?s VineyardYouthLeadershipInitiativeandtheStoneSoupLeadershipInstitute;amember of thehighschool theater department?stechcrew;andastaff member of thenewspaper,wherehejumpedat theopportunity tospendmore timewithhisdad,alongtimeEnglishteacher at theschool

Duringhisjunior year,hebuilt anaugmentedreality sandtablethat earned first placeintheregional sciencefair and aspot at theprestigiousInternational Scienceand EngineeringFair Inadditiontoobtainingtheright tofileapatent, hewashonoredat theStateHousewiththeSecretary?sAwardfor ExcellenceinEnergy andEnvironmental Education

ThankstoMVYouth,hereceivedascholarshiptoattendOlinCollegeof Engineering,wherehestudied electrical and computer engineering Duringhistimethere,healsostudent-taught at alocal highschool and wasawardeda Certificateof Special Congressional Recognitionfor outstandingand invaluableservicetothecommunity.Hewas thesort of exceedingly-rareindividual whowasfillednot just withpotential but promise

Andthoughhewasabletoaccomplishsomuchinashort time,hehad somuchmorelifeaheadof himandgoalsthat hewantedtoachieve Chief amongthemwashisdesiretobecomeadoctor It wasadreamheturned tosomewhat unexpectedly inthepast few years,followingthedeathof hisbeloveddadtocancer in2020 Theacutelossmade Chrisreflect ontherolethat doctorshadplayed inhisownlife It alsoledhimtobelievethat hecoulddomoreto helpothersfacingcircumstancessimilar tohisown

Chrispursuedthisdreamwithall thepassionanddedicationtowhichhislovedoneshad becomeaccustomed After graduatingintheearly daysof thepandemic,hetook ajob workinginhealthtechnology for GinkgoBioworks,where hewaspromotedseveral times Hecontinued toholddownthat job whilepayinghisownway throughapre-med post-baccalaureateprogram.

Inearly2023 aroutinescanrevealed that hehad liver cancer Doctorstoldhimhewould needto undergoa combinedheart-liver transplant.Hewasadmitted toMassachusettsGeneral Hospital,wherehewaitedfor the transplant for 224 days If Chriswasafraidof what thefutureheld,henever showedit,nor didhecomplain Instead, hemadethemost of hissituationand viewedit asanopportunityto beginhismedical training Hebefriended countlessnursesand doctorsandattendeddaily teachingconferenceswithresidents Thestaff at MGH talked excitedly about theday whenhewouldbetheir colleaguerather thantheir patient Chris,too,couldn? t wait

- -ObituaryexcerptsfromTheVineyardGazette

SCHOLARSHIPS

anOVERVIEW

Inour first nineyears,MVYouthhassupported 90 studentswithlast-dollar college,healthcare& education, andworkforcedevelopment scholarshipstotalingroughly $6 2 million

College Scholarships

Our original scholarshipprogram,thecollegescholarshipprogramoffersfour yearsof last-dollar fundingtostudentswithfinancial need whoarepursuingbachelor's degrees Finalistsdemonstrateexceptional academicperformance,character and service. Thisprogramreceivesroughly 50 applicationseachyear and hasthegreatest competition Only 6-8 recipientsareselected eachyear Inour first nineyears,73%of our awardshavebeencollegescholarships,totalingroughly $4 6 million

Healthcare & Education Scholarships

Our newest scholarshipprogramsupportsstudentsinterestedinpursuingcareersin healthcareandeducation Similar to thecollegescholarshipprogram,four-yearsof last-dollar fundingareprovidedtostudentswithfinancial need seekingbachelor's degrees Roughly 3-6 recipientsareselectedeachyear Havingonly operatedfor two years,10%of our awardshavebeenhealthcareandeducationscholarships,totaling roughly $620,000

Workforce Development Scholarships

Our most personalizedprogram,workforcedevelopment scholarshipssupport high school seniorsandyoungadultseager toget technical trainingtopursuecareersin: automotivetechnology,aviation,buildingtrades,cosmetology,culinaryarts,early childhood education,healthcare,horticulture& landscaping,marinetradesand wind technology Roughly 3-6 recipientsareselected eachyear After six yearsof operating thisprogram,17%of our awardshavebeenworkforcedevelopment scholarships, totalingroughly $960,000.

Scholarship Award Calculation Formula

Awardsarerecalculatedeach year usingupdated financial information. Thegraphbelow showsthearray of awardsprovided torecipients

Cost of Attendance(COA)- EstimatedFamilyContribution(EFC)- Institutional Financial Aid= FundingGap(MVYouthAward)

Demographics of Scholarship Recipients

MADELEINE BENGTSSON SMITH COLLEGE

My first semester at SmithCollegewasincredible! Northamptonisperfect becauseit?sfar enough away yet simultaneously closeenoughtohome It?sa lovely tourist townthat remindsmeof theVineyard charm,andwiththePVTA busI caneasily travel to seehighschool friendsat nearby schools.Smithhas abeautiful campus,arigorouswomen?scollege learningenvironment and many traditions Among thesetraditions,I enjoyedmy first ?MountainDay? withnew friends,bakingandhavingapicniconthe hill by thepond I enjoyed?Cromwell Day?,whereI partook insocial and racial justiceworkshops. Whether it?soneof thesebigevents,or theweekly SmithHouseTea,thisschool allowsfor wellness, bondingand important conversations

I lovethemany opportunitiesat Smith Beinga musicand performanceenthusiast,I joinedtheGlee Clubchoir,singingat semester concertslike ?AutumnSerenade?and ?ChristmasVespers?,but alsospecial occasionsliketheInaugurationof Smith College?s12thpresident,SarahWillie-LeBreton I look forward toauditioningfor thespringmusical, ?Grease?,andcontinuingwiththeyearbook club, whereI?vemadeflyersandworked onoutreach My fall classesand professorswerealsofantastic.I plan ondoublemajoringinSpanishand Education,soI took ?Contemporary CulturesintheSpanish SpeakingWorld?and ?IntrotoAmericanEducation?, but alsoother interestingclasseslikeastudioart ?DrawingSocial Justice?,throughtheopen curriculum I?mexcitedfor next semester?sschedule Withthesupport of MVYouth I?mabletopursuemy further educationat awelcominginstitution,where I?mmeetingamazingpeopleandjoiningclassesand clubsthat strengthen my knowledge,leadershipand passions Without them,theprocesswould bemuch moredifficult I?msothankful tobefromanisland withsuchagenerouscommunity.

MAGGIE BERNARD

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Thisfall semester wasmy freshmanyear at NortheasternUniversity.I wasselectedtobe part of their international programsoinstead of spendingmyfirst semester hereinBostonI spent it inParis,France I attendedAmerican University of Parisinpartnershipwith Northeasternglobal support staff that traveled withusandstayedduringour durationof the stay inFrance I amanundecidedmajor that is hopingtodoublemajor inPsychology and HumanServicesinorder toget thesame equivalent toaSocial Work major.Whilein ParisI took four classes:Paristhroughits Museums,Painting,Gender Studies,and First Year Writing WhileinFranceI hadavery good educational experience My schedulewasvery balancedwhichallowedmeampletimeto completemyassignmentsaswell asexplorethe placesandculturearoundme,both immediately andfarther away WhileinFrance I exploredmostlyall thearrondissements whether that wasthroughamuseumor a sunday fleamarket.I alsovisitedother places suchasEngland,Scotlandanddifferent partsof Italy throughbothschool opportunitiesand withfriends My favoritememory fromthefall semester wastheopportunity tovisit and exploreVeniceItaly withmy art professor.He andhiswifehaveahouseinVenicesothey very easily immersedmeand theother studentsinto thelocal culture Wegot thechancetolearn about thecraft of glassblowingand creation, hewalkedusall aroundand taught usabout the architecture.I had alwayswantedto goto Veniceandthat tripwasdefinitely abucket list experience Overall thefall semester taught me alot about myself asanindividual and confirmedthat I dohaveenoughindependence tomoveoverseasand thrivethereboth educationally andasaperson

EVELYN BREWER

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Whileit wasabigchangetomoveacrossthe countrytoCalifornia,themoment I wason campus,I knew I had madetheright decisionin choosingUSCasmy university I wasnervous about makingfriendsasthiswasanentirely new environment andI didn't know anyone there.I decidedtoattend thefirst welcome event,and it waswhenI wasanxiously waiting inlinethat I met peoplewhoendedupbeing my closest friends Throughout thefirst week, I met many new peopleandgreat friends I've seensomany placesaroundthecity,suchas theGriffithObservatory,beaches,andthe Hollywoodsign It'sbeensomuchfun to attendthefootball and basketball gamesat theColiseum

USCoffersavariety of clubsandactivitiesthat haveallowedmeto exploresomeof my interests I havedecidedtojointhetennisclub, ShareaMeal,AmericanLungAssociation,and Best Buddies I wassoexcitedabout beginning my studiesinOccupational Therapy andthe classonly reinforcedmy desiretopursueOT asacareer I foundevery classengagingand alwayslearnedsomethingnew andinteresting. I wasalsosurprised by how muchI enjoyed someof my requiredGEcourses,suchas International RelationsandSeminar inthe Arts I would lovetobeabletocontinuetaking moreIRclassesinthefuture.I'mso gladhow amazingandsupportiveall of my professors werebecauseit makessuchahugedifference

I want tothank MVYouth for their support and I amsograteful for all theopportunitiesthe scholarshiphasprovidedfor me I can't wait to headintothisnext semester!

DYANA BURKE

SPA TECH INSTITUTE

My first few monthsat estheticsschool havebeenan amazingexperience It hastaught memorethanjust about esthetics My classat estheticsschool wasn? t what I wasexpecting My classalonehasmoreadult students, thanonesmy age.Thiswasabit nerve-rackingmy first day,whenweall introducedourselvesandeveryonesaid their age Manyof my fellow classmatesaremarried and withchildren,andthenthere?sme,aneighteenyear old whobarely knowshow to driveonthehighway But really,I hadnothingto fear thefirst day,asI?mso grateful tobesurroundedby suchamazingwomenthat I havereally beguntolook upto,not only inestheticsbut inlife

I havereallyenjoyed studyingwhat I havesuchabig passionfor It hasmademevery grateful for thetimesin highschool,whereI actuallypaidattentioninbiology andchemistryclass

But,for everystudent,nomatter whereyouare,there arechallenges Asmy school?sattendancegoesby hours insteadof days,it hasbeenchallengingandstressful, (especially if I get sick andhaveto make-upaclass).It?s challengingbecauseevery secondyoumiss(inaclass), youhavetomakeupinorder tograduate For my program,I need600 hoursof class Thankfully though, my school isvery helpful for makingupdays I can? t really complainabout stressthough,whenI?msitting almost everyday gettingafacial,or someother kindof service

I lovebeingabletopracticewithreal people.It especially makesit funbeingabletowork onyour friends,andevensomedaysweget towork withreal clients It reallyhelpstoprepareyou At first it wasvery scary workingwithareal client but now it?sreally fun It?slikeplaying?Spa?asakidwithyour friendsagain.

I?mreally lookingforward tothesenext few monthsasI amstartingtofinishupat estheticsschool This opportunity wouldnot havebeenpossiblewithout MVYouth.I amsograteful for their support and helping mebeabletodowhat I haveapassionfor I?mlooking forwardtomy future,andI?mexcitedtoseewhat?snext!

ELOISE CHRISTY MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

My first fall semester at MiddleburyCollegewasan eye-openingandjoyful experience Throughout this semester,thestaff and studentswereall sowelcoming and I never felt that I wasaloneonce,whichis somethingthat I?mreally grateful for.Our freshman orientationweek at thebeginningof thesemester was very impactful becauseI madesomeof my best friends duringit Duringthisfall,I started upmy Track & Field practiceswithmy teamwhichI hadbeenreally looking forward to.Theteamwassowelcomingtothe freshmanand I felt accepted right away Everyonewas comingback fromthesummer and weall supported eachother aswegot back uptowherewewantedto befor our upcomingIndoor Track season I amso excitedtobeabletocontinuetoget toknow my teammatesandto competeonsuchasupportiveteam Thissemester I alsotook four classesthat werequite challengingand out of my comfort zone.These included 19thCentury BritishLiterature,an Introductionto Pre-ModernWorldArchitecture,an Introductionto Political Philosophy,andmy freshman seminar,A Culinary History of Italy Someof these classeswerethingsI loved,liketheliteratureclass,but theothersweresubjectsI knew nothingabout I ended uplovingmy architectureclassand learningsomuch about thehistory of our worldintermsof themany different typesof architecture However,my political philosophy classendedupbeingvery difficult and extremely out of my comfort zone.Intheend,I was glad that I took it becauseI learnedsomuch about the basisof politicsand discoveredthat maybeI coulduse thisclasstofindwheremy interestslie

A lot of peopleworry about missingtheir homesand familieswhengoingaway tocollege,but onceyou immerseyourself intheenvironment and people aroundyou,for meat least,I didn? t feel asalone.I just want tothank MVYouthfor givingmethisincredible opportunity toexploremy interestsand learnat a school that I?vedreamedof attending Thesupport MVYouth gavemewassoneededand much appreciated. 14

WREN CHRISTY MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

Duringmy first semester at college,I havehadso many new andexcitingexperiences.Throughout my short time at Middlebury sofar,I havebeenchallengedboth academicallyand personally Middlebury isfull of welcomingandwonderful peoplewhoI know will be lifelongfriendsof mine Thecommunity andenvironment of Middleburyissosupportive?boththeteachersand students

At first,I wasslightly overwhelmedby startingout the year involvedwithasport aswell asmany academically challengingclasses Althougheverythingfelt likealot,I knew that I hadmany peopleI couldrelyon.I wasexcited totakelotsof interestingclasses,includingpursuingmy interest inpsychology I wasabletotakemany classes that I didn? t even know existedandlearned alot of helpful andintriguinginformation

I wasalsovery excitedtobepart of asportsteamat Middlebury I wasabletocontinuemy lovefor runningas well asbeapart of agroupof wonderful peoplethat have becomesomeof my closest friends Middlebury hasprovidedmewithsomany helpful resourcesabout clubs,careers,and classes.Althoughit is hardtofit themany thingsI want todoat thisschool into only acertainamount of days,I look forwardtojoining clubsthat couldhelpmepursuemy lovefor psychology as well asothersthat couldhelpmethink about what I want for my future.Duringthefall semester,my first psychology classwaschallenging,but even so,my professor instilledacuriosity inmeto learnmore I am excitedtoexplorethemajor of psychology aswell as exploremanyother pathsI couldtake

I amsograteful for thesupport that MVYouthhas providedme I couldn? t behappier at Middlebury College andI amsoexcitedfor everythingelsethat thisbeautiful placehasinstorefor me It meansso muchtomethat so many peoplefromtheMartha'sVineyardcommunity want tosupport meinmy futureat Middlebury.I can? t thank MVYouthor theIslandcommunity enough 15

JACK CRAWFORD BOWDOIN COLLEGE

Myfirst semester at BowdoinCollegehasbeen incredible.WhenI appliedearly decisionlast year,I never expectedtolovetheschool asmuch asI do,but Bowdoinistheperfect fit for me Bowdoin'suniquedistributionrequirementshave allowedmetoexplorecoursesbeyond my intendedmajor.Inmy first semester,I took Italian anddiscoveredapassionI planto continuenext semester I alsotook anAstronomycourseanda first-year writingseminar inFilmNoir The highlight of my semester wasanadvanced Theory and Compositioncourseinsongwriting, whereour classcollaboratively wroteand producedafull-lengthalbum Thishands-on experiencehoned my musical skillsand fostered adeepsenseof creativecollaboration

Beyondtheclassroom,I joinedtheclubrowing teamand amexcitedtotransitiontovarsity rowingthisspring I playedpianofor aJazz Comboandsangwithoneof Bowdoin'sall-malea cappellagroups,theLongfellows I joined Bowdoin?sHillel tocelebrateHanukkahand other Jewishholidays It?samazingtohavea Jewishcommunity oncampus I havemadesome of my closest friendsand formeddeep connectionswithmy professorswhichI will continueto foster throughout my four years I loveBowdoin'ssmall campusandlivinginMaine Thetrainintownmakeseverythingeasily accessibleandhasallowedmetoexplore Brunswick'ssurroundingtowns.

I amsograteful for MVYouthand their commitment tomy Bowdoineducation.The support pavedtheway for metopursuemy love of physicsand musicand themany opportunities Bowdoinprovides Reflectingonmy first semester,it hasexceededmy expectations I am excitedfor thespringsemester andsograteful for thegenerosity and support that MVYouth continuestoprovide

DANIEL DA SILVA

NEW ENGLAND HAIRACADEMY

Barber school hasbeenexcitingandfast pacedthispast fall Thefirst twomonths wereall about learningthecorebasicsto whereI now cut client?shair intheschool?s student barbershop Everyday I cometo school I learnnew or improveoldskillsina variety of ways,whether it?scutting techniquesor communicationskillswith clients My daysat school arenever dull and differ withnew clientswalkinginthedoor everyday Ontopof that my classmatesall comefromdifferent aspectsof lifeeachwith their ownstoriesandbackgroundsandyet westill all get alongvery well.Some classmatesarearoundmy agewhileothers areintheir 30sand 40s I findthat great asI canseedifferent perspectivesand upbringingsinthisindustry weall sharea passionfor.Attendanceisavital aspect of school that professionalslook for inaspiring barbers,andasof right now I haveperfect attendance Alongwithperfect attendanceI havereceivedother awardsfor teamwork, academicexcellence,outstandingfreshman, andhopefullymoretocomeinthefuture. Asidefrommy experiencesinbarber school I?vebeenlearninghow to liveonmy own duringall of this I hadtolearnhow to balancemy school lifewithmy new independent homelife,whichmay benormal for somepeoplebut took mesometime gettingusedto I?ddomy owngrocery shoppingtocook dinner and makesureI still havetimetodomy school assignmentson topof all that.Overall my post highschool educationhasbeengoinggreat sofar and withit not beinglikeatraditional collegeI am donefairly soon Withthat inmind I intendto keepupthehardwork I?vebeenputtinginfor thislast half

CALI GIGLIO

COLLEGEOF CHARLESTON

Duringmy first semester at theCollegeof Charleston,I havehad theprivilegeof encounteringnumerousopportunities, inspirational professors,andthechanceto integratemy passionsintomy extracurricular activities I recently becameamember of the clubtennisteam,whereI havealready forged lasting,meaningful friendshipsandcherished memorieswhileenjoyingmy favoritesport. Whilediligently attendingtomy academic responsibilitiesat thelibrary (accompanied by my eight roommates?it'squitealively environment),I havemanagedto upholdmy commitment toplayingclubtennistwicea week andeven embarkedonjourneysto Savannah,Georgia,for multi-school tournaments

Thissemester alsomarkedmy introduction tomy major:ExerciseScience Guidedby an exceptional professor,I gainedinsight into themyriad of career prospectsawaitingme, rangingfromaphysical therapist toasports nutritionist I not only committedheavily to my coursework thissemester but also succeededinmaintainingahealthy lifestyle, apersonal priority of mine Alongsidemy tennisendeavors,I haveventuredtoexplore thevibrant city of Charleston,discovering new yogastudiosand scenicwalkingspots Myexperienceat theCollegeof Charleston hasbeennothingshort of exceptional,and I'mprofoundlythankful toMVYouth for providingmewiththisinvaluable opportunity

ANA KURELJA

WHEATON COLLEGE

Sofar,thispast semester asafreshmanat WheatonCollegehasbeenmemorable Startingintheir new nursingprogramhas beenexcitingandchallenginginthebest way I spendalot of my timecompletingwork for thenursingprogrambut never doI find myself not wantingtodoit I feel that I am alwayscontributingto my futureinsome way Thelevel of support throughout my school andoverloadof friendshipisamazing Thisfirst semester hasbeenatonof new experiencesbut all whereI havebeenguided andsupported I havelearnedanythingfrom chemistry towellnesswithinnursestothe basicsof nursingasacareer

GrowinguponMartha?sVineyardthen acceleratingto Nortonwasthrilling Norton isasmall townthat doesnot havemuch aroundwhichgavemethesamekindof close knit feel that I hadgrowingup I haveloved thenew natureandplacesto explorewhenI amabletotakebreaksfrommy academics

I amsothankful for MVYouthand all the opportunitiesthat it hasgivenme.This semester I havelearnedso muchbeing surroundedby atotally new environment, but I havealsolearnedsomuch withinmyself I cannot wait for thisnew semester,andall thenew experiencesandclassesthat it will bringtome

PENELOPE

LONG SIMMONSUNIVERSITY

Myfirst-ever collegesemester wasvery exciting Asafirst-generationcollegestudent,I didnot havemany expectations,only nervousness I arrivedearly ontheSimmons Universitycampusfor Field Hockey pre-season I wasgreetedinstantly by abuilt-in family Over sometime,I?veinstalled my ideals about beingatight-knit groupwithinmy teammates ComingfromMartha?sVineyard,I wassograteful for thetight community I hadat school,insportsandoverall I cultivatedthis samefeelingfor myself and theothersaround meat school

I fracturedmy fibulajust about halfway throughtheseasonand thisiswhenI realized just how well I tied together my team.My teammatesshowedupfor meinevery way they couldbut what meant most waswhen they carriedmy stick out for every gameand placedit besidetheirs Inthelast gameof our seasonI gaveaspeechtomy teamabout how they impactedmy collegeexperiencefor the better andhow they really areafamily Inmy speech,I ledwiththeideathat weplay for each other Thissparkedanideaandweall put tape onour wristsandwrotewhy weplay Looking aroundthelocker roomwasso heart-warming. All thegirlswrotethey wereplayingfor our fieldhockey family

Onthemoreacademicsideof things,beingan NCAA athleteandSTEM major wasdifficult to navigateinitially After gettingintothegroove, I foundthespacetolearnhow I wanted I really enjoyedbeinginthelaboratoryand working hands-onwiththematerial Lookingforward, I?msoexcitedtoseehow I canimpact others aroundmethisnext semester andthenext stepsI cantakeincultivatingmy education

ISABELLA RIBEIRO

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

AsI near theendof my first semester at the University of Vermont,reflectingonthisjourney feelslikeflippingthroughaslideshow of personal growth,bothsociallyand academically Theswitch fromasmall hometowntoalarger university initially stirredconcernsfor meabout findingmy niche,yet thoseworriesfadedasI realizedwe wereall embarkingonthisnew chapter together Engaginginclubs,bondingwithpeopleinmy classesandaroundcampus,quickly allowedmeto shatter my shell,resultinginfriendshipsthat now spanacrossthecountry.

Academically,adaptingtothedifferent teaching stylesposedchallenges.My preferencefor visual andinteractivelearningclashedwith lecture-heavy classes However,determinednot to fall behind,I sought guidancefrommy professors duringofficehours,spent many hoursinlibraries andcoffeeshops,andeven formedstudy groups withclassmates.Thisproactiveapproach transformedonce-dauntingsubjectsintomore comprehensiblematerial

Burlington'scommunity hasalsobeenan unexpectedwellspringof inspiration Here,many individualsandgroupspassionately champion variouscauses,fromenvironmental activismto social justiceinitiatives.AsaPolitical Science major,witnessingthisdynamiclandscapehasbeen aneye-openingexperience- afront-row seat to theevolutionof politicswithinacommunity

Theunwaveringsupport fromMVYouth hasbeen incredibly valuableinhelpingmefindmy footingat UVM Withthisfall semester comingtoaclose,I now anticipatethisnext phaseof my university journey.I'meager todivedeeper intomore creativecourses,engagefurther withmy new vibrant community,and foster moremeaningful connectionsthat will continuetoshapethis excitingnew chapter of my life

JAHEEM RICHARDS

SKYBORNEAIRLINEACADEMY

I wouldsay that my fall semester/lifehas beenuniquebecauseI spent most of it working I spent my timeworkingat the Martha'sVineyardAirport andthe EdgartownFireDepartment becausemy flight school situationwasmejust playingthe waitinggame.I felt thebest decision for me tomakewastowork and makemoneyuntil I heardback frommy flight school and receivedastart date OnceI finished working at theairport I figuredI?dtakeavacationand takealoadoff becauseinearly July I was workingpretty muchsevendaysaweek long shiftsso,that'swhat I didI enjoyedit I went toFort Lauderdale,Floridaand spent three andahalf weekswithfamily and friendsand just enjoyedthememoriesthat were creating.That triplasted fromOctober 12thtoNovember 10th,so whenI cameback to theVineyardI wasstill working/volunteering at theEdgartownFireDepartment,I would work overnight shiftsandI'dpick whenI wantedto work soI enjoyedthat I still had timeto myself duringtheday I wouldwork out 3-5 timesaweek intheafternoonand thenI?dhaveenoughtimetogohomemake dinner and eat at homethenheadtowork for 6 hours.Beingavolunteer firefighter,for the most part,wasfun andI wasabletolearn fromdifferent individualswhether it was about work or anythinglife-related I?vebeen onmultiplemedical runs,alarmruns,car accidents,and I went tomy first structure fireafew daysbeforeI left onDecember 21st Sonow I'minFort Lauderdale,Florida at my brother'shousehangingout because my start datetoattendSkyborneAirline AcademyisFebruary5th andI can? t wait to start thisnext chapter of my life.

HANNA SANTOS

CAPECOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Thisfall wasfor sure,afreshstart.College, work,new circleof people,and adjustingtothe ideaof not beinginhighschool anymore It has beenasignificant changefor me,and I?mstill adaptingtothisnew phaseof my life,but it has beenagreat adventuresofar

I startedmy collegejourney at CapeCod Community Collegeby takingonlineclasses I?mapsychologymajor.I wasso nervouswhen school wasabout tobeginbecauseI didn? t know what it would belike Tobehonest,it has beenthemost wholesomeexperienceof my life I took thispsychology course,whereI learnedsomuchabout why webehavetheway wedo,andI already feel likeanactual psychologist ready towork inmy field Studyingpsychology isnot just about learning about thehumanmindand behavior It'salso anopportunityto learnabout yourself Asyou delveintothecomplexitiesof thehuman psyche,youmay findthat yougainadeeper understandingof your ownthoughts,feelings, andbehaviors

I amprofoundly grateful for MVYouthandthe opportunity theyhavegivenme It hasnot only lightenedthefinancial load but hasalso empoweredmetopursuemy educational aspirationswithdeterminationandconfidence. I amcommittedto makingthemost of this opportunity andwill continuetowork hardto honor thefaiththat hasbeenplacedinme I am grateful for thesupport of thescholarshipand thedoorsit hasopenedfor me,and I hopeto pay it forwardby makingapositiveimpact in my chosenfieldand givingback tothe community inthefuture

JULIA SAYRE BROWN UNIVERSITY

I recentlycompleted my first semester at BrownUniversityand couldnot behappier withmy choice I foundmy adjustment to Providencevery smooth,comingfromthe ruralnessof theVineyard I lovetoexplore eachpart of thecity and becomeacquainted withmy homefor thenext four years.I exploredmultipleacademicdisciplinesthis semester,includingenvironmental science, dancestudies,and religiousstudies The academicfreedomBrown fostersmademe realizeI want topursueamajor in environmental studies,asI thoroughly enjoyedmy classthat connected sustainable agricultureand global hunger I hadaunique opportunityinmy IntroductiontoCritical DanceStudies,whereI wastheonly student There,I hadtheopportunity toengage deeply witheachof my readingsandhave exceptional one-on-onediscussionswithmy professor ConsideringI had immense authority over my learning,I thoroughly enjoyedmy readingandwritingassignments. Outsideof academics,I?vebeenanactive member of theWomen?sHealthAdvocacy Groupand Brown?schapter of Sunrise,a national environmental justicegroup Next semester,I?mhopingtoventuremoreinto thebroader Providencecommunity to engageinvolunteeringopportunities I?ve realizedtheimportanceof timemanagement andfindingwaystode-stressandrest my mindfromthestrenuousworkload I?ve joinedtheBrownOutingCluband Brown Rock ClimbingCluband foundthat exercise incollegehasbeenagreat way todothis I remainimmenselygrateful for MVYouth?s generosity andsupport It hasprovidedme withamazingand uniqueexperiencesat a school I amalready fallinginlovewith

JOSIE WELCH

BOSTON COLLEGE

I think that manycan agreethat theadjustment tocollegeisfar fromeasy Growingupona small islandwithatight-knit community and shiftingtocollegeisdifficult Thissemester, what I foundisthat beyonditschallenges,lives personal growthandso muchexcitement

Walkingtoclassand not recognizingfaceswas new for me AlthoughI wasnow experiencinga whirlwindof new,I wasabletofind asenseof community that I wasalwayssoused to My homewithinBostonCollegewasfoundinthe nursingprogram,aselect groupof around100 studentsout of my 2,335-personclass I shared themajority of my classeswiththesepeople Weworkedhardtogether,struggledtogether, andlaughedtogether.I havefalleninlovewith theenvironment theprogramsbrings,onethat wantseveryoneto succeedtowardsashared goal

My first semester hasbeenfilledtothemax withnew friends,exploring,football games,fun, andof course,memorizingevery boneand muscleof thehumanbody Whilefocusingon mostly rigorous,nursing-heavy classes (chemistry,anatomyand physiology,andlabs), BostonCollegealsorequiresevery student to fulfill their liberal artscorecurriculum This allowedmetotakeclassesoutsideof my normal comfort,likeart history andtheology,and expandmy knowledgebeyond thesciences

Beingright outsideof Bostonhasbeenagreat experience.I?veenjoyed havingasenseof a campusinNewtonwhilealsobeingableto exploreacitythat,althoughsocloseto home, feelslikeawholedifferent world! Exploringa city knowntobethebest inhealthcarehas mademeeager for my future.I feel extremely grateful for thenewnessthat every day brings andfor MVYouthgivingmetheopportunityto takeit all in Roll Eags!

2022 S C H O

LELLA BUCHERT

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

My thirdsemester at UMasshasbeendemandingyet rewarding Thissemester,I learnedalot academically and socially.Somany movingpartsinthecollegeatmosphere aredifferent fromour small islandcommunity,which overwhelmsand amazesme Thisfall,I'vealready begun my plansto moveintoahousewithmy best friendsfor next year,whichisexciting I'mlookingforward togaining moreindependence

I took rigorouscoursessuchasphysics,chemistry,and statisticsthisfall semester Balancingtheseclasseshas beentough,but they arethefoundationsfor interesting higher-level classes,andthesecourseshavetaught me many necessary lab skills I'vealsojoinedtheGeoScience clubthissemester,whichhasconnected mewith intelligent andkindupperclassmenwhohaveinspiredme Next semester,I'mtakinganother geology labwherewe will learnhands-onabout streamprocesses,mountain belts,geologictimescales,and more I'mthrilledto further my geology knowledgeandtakeclassesnext semester suchasenvironmental economics, environmental career planning,"Ecosystems, Biodiversity,andGlobal Change," and other courses.Next semester,I'mlookingforwardtojoininglab researchas well

ThoughI'mexpandingmy knowledgeof thesciences,I will bejoining"University Chorale," amixedchorusensemble next semester I'menthusiasticabout gettingback to singing,whichhelpsclear my mindof any anxiety and stress.TheMinnesinger grouphashadalastingimpact on my lovefor music.Thereissomethingmagical about singinginachorus I'vemissedsingingsomuch,andit will positively impact mementally and academically I'vehadaspectacular past fall but wouldn't behere without MVYouth MVYouthinspiresmetopushmyself tofollow my passionsandput my best foot forward I'mso grateful toMVYouthfor theopportunitiesthey provide for meand my community. 21

ISABELLA CLARKE BROWN UNIVERSITY

My thirdsemester at BrownUniversityhasbeenan enrichingexperience Theenvironment hereis academicallydemandingyet very supportiveaswell The opencurriculumhasallowedmetoexploremy psychology major anddelveintolaw,notably inConstitutional Law, wherewecovered83 SupremeCourt cases Additionally,I wasacceptedintotheStudent Clinicfor Immigrant Justice, dedicatingtwohoursweekly tolearningimmigrationlaw Thisspring,I'll engageincommunity organizingandwork onimmigrationcaseswithanattorney Thisopportunity allowedmetoapply theskillsI?velearnedinmy psychology courseswhendiscussingthepainful experiencesthe asyleeshadenduredintheir homecountry

GivenBrown'sabsenceof alaw school or pre-law program, I'veconnectedwithother pre-law students ServingasVice President of theBlack Pre-Law Associationand secretary for theWomen?sPre-Law Association,I'mplanningatripto visit law schoolsinWashington DCandgaininginsights intolaw school admissionsfromBrownalums

Next semester,I'mtakingAbnormal Psychology,Statistics, AfricanaStudies,and Political Science Thoughthisfall was academicallychallenging,I anticipateabalancedworkload intheupcomingterm I will bejugglingcoursework,two leadershiproles,and four internships.Inadditiontomy twointernshipsviatheStudent Clinicfor Immigrant Justice,I will alsointernat ThriveBehavioral Healthand theRhodeIslandStateGovernment At Thrive,I will apply my psychologyknowledgetointerview clientsabout their mental health I will alsobeableto shadow different departmentswithinthemental hospital.For theRhode IslandStategovernment internship,I will work withinthe Governor?smunicipal officedraftinglegislation

Theseinternshipspromisetodeepen my understandingof psychology andlaw,offeringinsightsintopotential career paths I amgrateful for MVYouth'ssupport,whichhas providedmeaccessto themyriad opportunitiesavailable at Brown,andI look forwardtocreatingmorememorable experiencesnext semester.

ALISON CUSTER CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

Mysecondfall at Connecticut Collegehasbeenbusy, but amazing I cameintothisyear readyto solidify my Majors,andapply for what Conncalls?Integrative Pathways?.Last SpringI declaredmy Major inDance andthisFall I decidedonmy secondMajor called AmericanStudies,aninterdisciplinary major that will allow metostudy Government,Psychology,and Environmental Studies I wasalsoaccepted intothe Social JusticeandSustainability PathwaywhereI will exploreissuesI ampassionateabout by intentionally combininginterdisciplinary coursework with off-campuslearningexperiences,andwork withfaculty andadvisersto developananimatingquestionthat is meaningful tome.I look forwardtobeginningmy ThematicInquiry coursefor theSocial Justiceand Sustainability Pathway andbuildingdeeper relationshipswithSocial JusticeOrganizationsinNew London

I workedondevelopingtheSunriseMovement Chapter (aclimatejusticeorganization)oncampusand organizingeventsfor that I wasalsointwodance concerts,onefor DanceClubwhereI choreographeda piece,aswell asperformed,and themost recent Department Concert I had theopportunityto work withDavidDorfmanand alsoGuest Artist RonaldK Brownof EvidenceDanceCompany Thiswassuchan incredibleexperiencelearningfromsuchaniconinthe danceworld Thepiecewelearnedand performedwas originally set ontheAlvin AileyCompany,so therewas alot of pressure,but their guidance,wisdom,and support werevaluableandI wouldn? t changethat experiencefor theworld.I havealsobegunplanningmy applicationfor studyingabroadnext fall,hopefully in Copenhagenor Londonbased ontheprogramsI have found

I havetakenmany valuablecourses,learnedand grown boundlessly,foundsomuch joy,and built somany important relationshipsat Connecticut Collegesofar I cannot wait tocontinue I couldnot havedonethis without MVYouth.Thesupport hasmeant somuchto my family andme,and I cannot thank MVYouth enough I amforever grateful

LUCASDA SILVA UPPERCAPETECH

Hi.I?mLucasdaSilva.I'm20 yearsold.I graduatedtwoyearsago I hadtheopportunity toreceiveascholarshipfromMVYouth, fulfillingmy dreamtobecomeanelectrician I'vebeenstudyingandworkinginthe professionfor twoyears.I'mvery grateful for all thesemomentsand learning Lately it'sbeen muchmorecomplexbut it'salsobeenmore excitingbeingexposedto new areas InJune thisyear I got married,andmovedtoahouse Everythinghasbeennew andchallenging,but that'sme.I lovebeingexposed tonew thingsto alwaysbegoingtothenext level It isa responsiblelifestylethat wemust haveafter wegraduatebecausesometimesit isnot easy tomaketheright choice That iswhy I always liketolook at challenges?withpatienceand reason?never emotion I amreally very grateful for what lifehastaught meandI amvery grateful for thisprogramthat helpedmenot leavemy dreaminvainand saw that I was willingtomakeadreamcometrue.Over these twoyearsit hasbeenalot of dedication, workingalot,havingalot of experiences workinginalot of different places,suchas school,industrial andmuch more Thisyear 2024 I will begoingtomy thirdyear of school andthirdyear of work.It'sbeenavery productiveyear and I'mreally lookingforward to thenew experiencesthat thisyear will bring

JESSIE DLABAJ CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Thispast fall semester hasbeenadifferent experiencethanthat of my freshmanyear While it hasbeenchallenging,I havecontinuedto grow asapersonandastudent.Thissemester I changedmy major fromBiological Scienceto Mechanical Engineering I realized I nolonger hadthedrivefor afutureinthebiology field,but I hadanewfoundinterest inengineering While thistransitionhasbeendemanding,I thoroughly enjoyedmy introductionintothefieldof engineeringandlook forwardtomy futureasan engineer! Thissemester I alsobecameamath tutor for Clemson?sAcademicSuccessCenter I workedaroundeight hoursaweek tutoring CalculusOnestudents Thishasbeena wonderful opportunity asI havebuilt connectionswithmy fellow peer leadersand withmy students It hasalsorequiredmeto improveuponmy timemanagement,leadership, andcommunicationskillswhichwill better preparemefor my future I didnot realizehow muchI would buildarelationshipwiththe studentsI havetutored I would havemany of thesamepeoplereturneachweek and thoroughlyenjoyed gettingto know themover thesemester I planontutoringagaininthe springand I amexcitedtohavethisopportunity again Overall,I havehad anamazingfall semester andI amso grateful I havefound whereI amsupposedto beat Clemson University.I havecomeback tocampusmore establishedand readyto tacklenew obstacles andopportunities I havebeenfortunateenough toliveoff campuswithtwoof my closest friends Thishasalsobeenafew sourcesof responsibility,but I haveenjoyedthefreedom andability to makemy own food! All of this wouldnot bepossiblewithout theMVYouth,so thank youfor all that youdo!

SAM FETTERS

AMHERST COLLEGE

Asasecond-year student at Amherst CollegeI feel I cameintomy own Thankstotheopen curriculumat Amherst,I amwell onmy way to triplemajoringinComputer Science,History andPolitical Sciencewithclassesin Algorithms,Artificial Intelligence,PetroStates andStalinthisfall Over thesummer I was awardedanundergraduateresearch fellowshipwithanAmherst professor.We studiedvirtual memory andcompression algorithms,whichculminatedinalarge presentationat acollege-widesymposium

Over thefall semester,I wasaTA for aData Structurescourseinthecomputer science department Whileit wascertainly arefresher onthematerial,I really enjoyed teachingother students,andhelpingthemwiththematerial. Next semester I amregisteredfor 20th Century Japan,CollapseandRevolution:Fall of theSoviet Union,New ColdWars,and a Spanishclassto get ready for aFall 2024 semester abroadinSpain.

I continuetobepart of QuizBowl,Model UN, andRunningClubthroughwhichI havemet so many great people.I reached my goal of runningamarathon,placing4thinthe Martha?sVineyardMarathoninMay 2023,and qualifyingfor theBostonMarathoninApril 2024 Then,I rantheMarineCorpsMarathon inOctober 2023,comingin31st overall and 4thinmy divisioninafieldof over 14,000 runners Runningmeanstheworldtomeand helpsmemanagetheacademicdemandsof Amherst withaphysical outlet that hasproven very positivefor my mental healthandsocial life

I?mthankful for MVYouth?ssupport and confidenceinmeover thepast twoyears,and can? t wait toseewhat 2024 brings

LUCASGONCALVES

GORDON COLLEGE

Timehasbeengoingby sofast,andI can? t believeI amstartingmy secondsemester of my sophomoreyear It felt likeit wasyesterday whenI wasgettingready toleavefor my first year and takeonthechallengeof Gordon Collegesoccer tryouts (I ended upmakingthe team,thankstoGod) Just likelast year,thisfall wasnodifferent - I had totacklepreseason I cameintothe2023 fall feelinguncertainabout thesoccer seasonandschool year The previouscoachdecided toleave,andit hurt becausenot only isheagreat coach,but heis someonewecouldall count onoutsideof soccer So,theteamstartedthesummer off withnocoachbut withthecertainty that we wouldgiveour all inthefall Intheend,Gordon foundagreat headcoachandassistant who propelledusto alevel that enabledustoplay likeprimeFCBarcelona Unfortunately,welost inthequarterfinalstoateamweshould?ve beaten,but that'sthebeauty of sports- upsets canhappenandanyonecanwin

Inthespringof 2023,I decidedto takesome businessclassestobroadenmy options,and I?vealwaysbeeninterestedinthisfield aswell askinesiology I decidedtomajor inbusiness management becauseoneday I planonowning or helpingpeoplemanagetheright way I still enjoy kinesiology,and I haven? t decidedona minor yet,sothat isapossibility Inthenear futureI planonparticipatinginGordon?s missiontrips Everyonewhohasgonehassaid that it isanunforgettableexperience,andI wouldliketo goononebeforeI graduate. All inall,I amextremely grateful for MVYouth andeveryonewhoparticipatesinmaking everythingpossible.

LILA MIKOS

SYRACUSEUNIVERSITY

WalkingontocampusinAugust,I felt asense of homeandfamiliarity I hadbeenlooking forwardtoall summer! Returningtoschool as asophomoreand beingableto reunitewithmy friendsandclassmatesbrought mejoy and a renewedsenseof community

Withbeautiful upstateNew York fall weather, I spent muchof my timeoutdoorsinthe beginningof thesemester onandoff campus I carvedout lotsof timetotakeadvantageof someStateParksandTheNew York StateFair.

Academically,thissemester openedmy eyesso much I begantotakeclassesfocusedonmy major of PublicHealth.Inmy favoriteclass, Community HealthPromotions,wespent time workingwithorganizationswithinthe Syracusecommunity aspart of theservice learningthisclassrequired I loved learning about thecitywhereI?vebeenlivingandhow I canhelpinfluencepositivechanges Outsideof that class,I wantedto findother waystoget involvedwiththecommunity My friendsandI foundacity cleanupinitiativecreatedby the mayor andspent timeontheeast sideof the city helpingtopick uptrashandclean up neighborhoods ThiswassorewardingasI got totalk tomany residentsof thisareawhowere grateful for thehelpandsupport fromSU students It wasinspiringtomeet themayor of Syracuseashecametothank everyonefor their efforts!

AlthoughI definitelyfacedacademic challenges,I think that thissemester helped megrow asalearner andshowedmehow hard I?mabletowork I?meternally grateful MVYouthhasallowedmetotakeadvantageof theseamazingexperiencesandI?msoexcited for what therest of theyear hasinstore!

RUAIRI MULLIN BROWN UNIVERSITY

Sincelast writinganupdatefor MVYouth,I?ve had agreat second-semester last spring,avery productivesummer workingback ontheisland, and thenmy best semester yet thisfall.During thespring,I took anintromathcourseand two coursesfor my plannedmajor,political science Thissemester I continued withamath-political sciencesplit,takingtwocoursesineach Later thisyear,I will formally declareamajor and havedecided onpolitical scienceand applied mathafter discoveringthat I canand enjoy doingboth I?vebeenfortunatetohave experiencedgreat professorswho have encouragedmetocontinueinbothfields At every stepsofar,bothprofessorsandstudents havemotivated metobeabetter learner and student Thecommunity I amnow part of is incredibly supportiveand driventosucceedtraitsI amgrateful for Outsideof academics,I havejoinedBrown?s clubswimteamtoget back intothissport and stay physically active.Sofar it'sbeenagreat experienceandI havebeenabletocompete against other collegeclubsintheregion The teamhasbeenwelcomingand highly motivated Withpracticesfivedaysaweek,swimminghas kept mebusy andhelped mestay focused academically asit forcesmetomanagemy time moreefficiently Ontopof all this,beingin Providencecontinuestobeenjoyable,I?ve exploredmoreof what it hastooffer,andsocial lifeoncampusisvibrant withplenty of thingsto doyear-round.Thisfall hasset meonapathI amexcitedabout I amincredibly grateful for theopportunitiesMVYouthhasprovidedme withandhopetooneday giveback and havea similar impact asthisorganization

JONATHAN NORTON CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

Inmy secondyear at Conn,thefall semester wasdistinctly different Excitement marked thestart asI fosteredconnectionswiththe educational studiesfaculty anddelvedinto variedinterests My courseselection,including Critical Educational Theory,Ordinary Differential Equations,MakingMusicwith Computers,andTheory 2:Color and Chromaticism,alignedwithmy major in Educational Studiesanddoubleminorsin MusicStudiesandMathematics Theliberal artsframework at Connfacilitatedexploration without rigidspecialization,offeringa well-roundedlearningexperienceand fosteringvaluableconnections

Critical Educational Theory emergedasa favorite,aligningwithmy preferencefor in-depthunderstanding Exploringthe"why" behindeducational practicesdeepenedmy insight,steeringmetowardtheeducational policy realm Motivatedtoeffect change,I appliedfor andwasacceptedintotheTeach for AmericaIgniteFellowship,anticipatingthe opportunity tomakeadifference

Amidacademicpursuits,I continued my athleticjourney,seekingsuccessincross country after astrongtrack season However, anunexpectedinjury sidelinedmefor the entireseason Despitethedisappointment,my academicfocusremainedunwavering. GratitudeextendstoMVYouth for their support,enablingmy studiesat Conn

Overall,thefall semester at Conncanbe characterizedby diverseacademic engagement,acommitment tounderstanding educational theory,and aresilient pursuit of goalsdespiteathleticsetbacks TheTeachfor AmericaIgniteFellowshipaddsanexciting dimensiontomy journey,promisingavenues for meaningful impact

MARINA PESSONI CAPECOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

My 2023 fall semester hasmarkedasignificant turning point inmy collegejourney asI navigatedamajor shift inmy career aspirations.A jobopportunity unfoldedat atax servicesofficeaffiliated withanexpandingbranch onMartha'sVineyard Thispromptedmetoredirect my academicfocusfromNursingtoBusiness AdministrationwithanAccountingconcentration Thisjobopportunity hascompelledmeto reevaluate my long-termgoals WhileNursingisstill adream,the jobopportunity inthetax servicesofficeoffersamore tangibleand immediatecareer path.Thisshift aligns withmy overarchingobjectiveof community service,as theoffice'sexpansiontoFalmouthcreatesan opportunity for meto strengthentieswiththeIsland community

I haveanewfoundsenseof stabilityto my academic journey,asI cannow work steadily whilepursuingmy studies Theprospect of professional growthis enhancedby theoffer of trainingtobecomeafuture tax applier andaccountant withinthecompany To seamlessly integratework andstudy,I'veoptedto switchmajors,safeguardingmy already earnedcredits!

A collaborativeplanhasbeendevisedtonavigatethis dual commitment successfully Thisinvolves professional growthwithinthetax servicesofficewhile concurrently delvingintotheintricaciesof business andaccountingthroughonlineclasses I want toearna degreewhileactivelycontributingtomy community!

I amprofoundly thankful for MVYouth,astheir support hasmadethistransformativejourney possible This opportunity for professional andacademicgrowth wouldnot becompletewithout MVYouth'sassistance Thecommitment toempoweringstudentslikemewith themeanstopursuetheir goalshasbeeninstrumental inshapingthisexcitingnew chapter of my life AsI embark onthisdynamicandrewardingcareer path,I carry withmeadeepgratitudeto MVYouthfor helping makethisvisionareality

GRAHAM STEARNS

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

Sofar,my sophomoreyear hasbeenboth demandingandrewarding Thissemester I continuedexploringacademicdisciplinesand makingmemorieswithmy friends.I took classes that challengedandexpandedmy perspectives, participatedinclub hockeyand lacrosse,and joinedColgate?schapter of ThetaChi I continued livingoncampus,or ?upthehill,?but spent plenty of timeat thechapter housewithmy brothers.

My classesthisfall included conceptssuchas biology,environmentally-focusedchemistry, studyingthenatureof publicmemory,and African-Americanstudies Thishasallowedmeto haveopportunitieslikeconductingsemester-long researchprojectsand workingwithwildlifeinthe field.I declaredasanEnvironmental Studiesmajor inthesecondsemester of my freshmanyear,but I haverecently addedaminor inWritinginRhetoric I plantocontinuethistrack and further develop my interest inwritingand environmental preservation Additionally,I amconsideringtaking classesinpsychologyasanother interest I could pursue

JoiningThetaChi hasbeenanextremely beneficial andvaluableexperience I havemadecountless memories,sharedideaswithadiversegroupof people,andparticipatedinseveral philanthropic andcommunityserviceevents Wearedetermined togiveback toour community withsmall events likepassingout candy onHalloween,andalso involveourselvesinlarger projects,likeraising over $7,000 whileadvocatingfor mental health thisNovember I amexcitedtocontinuemaking memoriesandgivingback inthecomingsemesters

I amsograteful for MVYouthand theopportunity they havegivenmetoattend ColgateUniversity Thestaff,donors,and supportersof theprogram havegivenmecountlessexperiencesthat I will never forget

ZACH UTZ

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

Just asI anticipated,my sophomorefall at Middlebury wasablast! I wasvery happy to get toseemy friendsand teammatesthat I hadn? t seenall summer,andto continuemy academicand athleticendeavors Asalways, thefall foliagewasahighlight of my past few monthsinVermont,withthered,golden,and orangehuesof themapletreeshavingpainted campusinanautumnal hue.Thisfall wasfull of important growth,highlightedby bothmy major andminor declaration! I amnow ajoint major inEnvironmental StudiesandBiology, and aminor inAnthropology I amlooking forward togrowingmy skillsthesesubjectsasI look towardsafuturecareer inthebiological sciencesandenvironmental policy Theliberal artshavegivenmeanopportunity togrow my skillsinsciencewhileconsideringthe humanities,whichhasallowedmeto improve bothmy analytical andcritical thinkingskills, helpingmegrow asaperson

Outsideof classand studying,most of my time istakenupby trainingfor CrossCountry and Track AlthoughI wasinjuredthemajority of thefall CrossCountry seasonandunableto competeinany races,I waslucky enoughtobe abletojoinmy teammatesonsomerunsand bikeridesduringwhichI wasableto enjoy Middlebury?sbeautiful surroundings Now that I?mnolonger injured,I?mlookingforward to competingduringmy indoor track seasonin the800-meter,1000-meter,DistanceMedley Relay,and Mileevents! Other thanrunning,my fall wasfull of hikes,skiing,swimming,and plenty of other outdoor activities I amso grateful for theopportunitiesMVYouthhas givenmein2023 andI amlookingforwardto continuingmy studiesat Middlebury this springandabroad next fall!

CRYSTAL ZHENG

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, DARTMOUTH

Likemost students,I wassadwhensummer was over but I couldn? t wait for thenew semester to begin I?vecontinuedmy nursingstudiesthisfall semester andit hasbeensomuchdifferent fromlast year! I havegottenusedtobeinga collegestudent and amopentoexperiencing morechallengingthings.Andof course,classes arestill gettingharder likeMed Microbiology andPathophysiology & Pharmacology Even thoughclassesaretoughI doenjoy thesubjects andlistentothelectures! I would oftenask the professor if I didn? t understandanythingand they wouldalwaysassist me InPatho& Pharm classwelearnedalot about medicationand it wasfascinatingtolearnall thebigterminology words

Asidefrommystudies,inmy freetime,I ran aroundtoparticipateinart,theater,anddance Thisyear oneof my best accomplishmentsis formingaK-pop/hip-hopdanceclub(K.D.C) withsomefriends Theprocessof makingthis clubwasmuchlonger thanI thought it would be Asthevicepresident of theclub I never knew beginningaclubwouldbedifficult But I lovethechallengesand I wasextremely eager toseehow it wouldturnout I can? t wait tosee how thisclubgrowsinthefuture Also,thisfall I wassohappy tobepart of theplay ?Alicein Wonderland!?I still couldn? t believeI got the leadroleof Aliceinthisproduction!

Overall thisfall wasarollercoaster ridefull of challengesandrewardingexperiences I feel like I havegainedmoreindependence.I amforever grateful toMVYouthand thiscommunity for thesupport they provideme Without them,I wouldn? t beheretoday!

S C H O L A R S H I

MICHAELA BENEFIT UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Thesepast twosemestersat University of Connecticut wereamazing I endedmy spring semester withastudy abroadprograminSouth Africastudyingtrack andsignof thenative speciesonthereserve Thiswasanamazing programandI madeso many memoriesand learnedsomuch! WhileI wasinAfricawe didn't haveour phones,whichallowedustobe fully in-tunewithour studiesand really takein thebeauty that surroundedus I madesomany new friendsthroughthisprogramand it truly changedmy life Comingback tothestatesI landedalandscapingjobontheVineyardfor thesummer andworked very hard I learneda lot of new skillsand met somany new people Thesummer wascomingto anendand thefall semester wasstarting.

I movedoff campusthissemester and it was oneof thebest decisionsI couldhavemade. Someof theroommatesarefrommy study abroadprogramandweall get alongsowell! Thispast semester I took alot of general educationclasseswhichareneededfor my major toensurethat I graduateinthespringof thisupcomingsemester Somememorable eventsthat happenedthisfall semester were that I joinedtheUniversity of Connecticut westernteamandcompetedall aroundNew England,I?malsostill inmy outingclubgroupin my school andweareplanningaskiingtripup tosmugglersnotchinJanuary,andI alsomet a lot of new friendsthroughall these experiencesandI?msothankful for this opportunity that wasgiventomeby MVYouth Thisscholarshiphasreally helpedmein creatingnew connectionswithpeopleand aroundtheworld I amsoexcitedto seewhat's tocomeinmy last semester at University of Connecticut and my futureafter graduation!

MADELINE CHRONISTER

UMASS,STOCKBRIDGE

Every year isdifferent - likeachanging shoreline,thetidesebb andflow,and with every passingday thesandsmove.They say younever standinthesameriver twice,but it?s theseever-shiftingplacesthat through millenniashapetheland Andasthey etch themselveswindingly alongthesurfaceof the earth,every day carvesintome.Spring meltwater andslow summersalike I waded throughthebrooksand lake-shoresof western Massachusettsthisfall,wheretherainbow trout andblacknosedacelive,astheworld spunhazardouslyaroundme,inandout of my head.A longsummer seededalongfall,and thoughthewintersbecomewarmer eachyear, thedaysarestill short and blinding,and they remindmetolook back (thereisaspeciesof herringthat can only bedistinguishedfrom another by thecolor of itsguts- somethings youcanonly seeafter they aregone) I tooam markedby thisfall,by thethingsthat hurt and thethingsthat didn? t Markedby mistakesregret andguilt- but alsoby love By thestars andthemoonand by longwalkstothe conveniencestore Thesebeautiful things, however bigor small,that lay besidemeinthe grass Weremindeachother- thereisafuture, always Sometimes,theriver will behardto navigate,coldandrocky Sometimesyour waderswill haveaholeinthem.Andyoumight not evencatchany lamprey But it will not be thisway forever - youhavetokeeppushing, evenasthewatersmoveunder you,because every directionyoumoveinisforward Thank youtoMVYouth,and toall of thosewho helpedmecontinueonwardthisfall - I will remember you

CHLOE COMBRA TRINITY COLLEGEDUBLIN

My secondfall semester at Trinity Collegeof DublininIrelandwasfull of new opportunitiesand great experiences I got a lot moreinvolvedinthestudent societies and clubsoffered at Trinity andjoinedthe tennisteam,boxingclub,debatesociety, philosophical society,and thedanceteam Thebest part of thesewashow they expandedmy social circleandI met loads morepeopleandmademoreconnections that I never would haveotherwise Although thesecondyear workloadwassignificantly bigger I wasstill abletoget away and do sometraveling.I madeit toGermany for Oktoberfest and campedonalittleislandoff thecoast of Ireland Bothweresuch invaluableandmemorablecultural experiences For my Christmasbreak I found ashort termjobinaski resort intheFrench Alpsandspent 8 weeksworkingpart time and got inall theskiingI could Oneof the best partsof thiswaswhenmy roommates and I wokeupearly onemorningandtoured uponeof thepistesat sunriseand skiedback downbeforetheliftswereopen,meaningwe had theentiremountaintoourselves!

Asasecondyear I hadalot morechoiceover themodulesI couldtakefor my degree.For example,I wasabletotakeacourseinthe historiesandfuturesof climatechange whichcomplimentsmy degreeof Geography & Politicsvery well AlsopickingupaFrench elective,I wasfinally ableto work onmy FrenchskillsagainwhichI hadn? t usedmuch sincespendingmy gapyear inParis Overall thestart tomy secondyear at Trinity was great and I amsolookingforward tomy next few!

BROOKE CROCKER

TUFTSUNIVERSITY

Thispast semester at TuftsUniversity wasfilled withnew experiencesand opportunities It was my first semester livinginanoff-campus apartment,inwhichI wasmet withboth challengesandpositives I really enjoyedlivingin anapartment withnineof my closest friends fromcollege,hostingparties,dinners,and more withour newfoundindependence.Duringthe semester I hadanopportunity tocontinue interningat theUnitedNationsAssociationof Greater BostonasI didlast Spring My work consistedof creatingspeaker seriesevents basedontheUnitedNationsSustainable Development Goals(SDG).My supervisor and I wereabletowork together for afew months, culminatinginanevent regardingSDG12: ResponsibleConsumption& Production The internshipwasagreat learningopportunity that allowedmetoapply my International Relations knowledge

Withrespect tomy classesthissemester,I really enjoyedmyInternational Economicscourse I waseager toattend classevery week and found theconnectionbetweenmacroeconomicsand current eventsfascinating,learningabout topics suchasTheGoldStandard,TheGreat Depression,andTheFinancial Crisisof 08-09. Furthermore,I wasabletoapply this informationtoanother classtitled ?Historyof Consumption?that discussed alot of modern day issuestiedtoconsumerismand financial institutions.It wasagreat final semester at Tufts beforeI studyabroad inSpainthisupcoming semester I amexcitedtolearnmoreabout Spanishhistory andcultureand plantotakea few art classes,studyinggreat Spanishartiststo really envelopmyself ineverythingthecountry hastooffer.I amsothankful for MVYouth?s generosity,astheycontinuetohelpmakemy dreamscometrue Thank youso much! 31

LARISSA DE OLIVEIRA

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

Thepast twosemestersat UMassAmherst havebeen motivating,exciting,and transformative Inthespring semester of my sophomoreyear,I enrolledinfivecourses, whichrangedfromclassespertainingtoworld religions andNativeAmericanliteraturetoclassesthat focusedon puttingteachingEnglishintopractice Languages, Literatures,andCultures115 isarequirement for getting my certificatetoteachEnglishasasecondlanguage,and it wasoneof my favoritecoursesfromthat semester This classmeant alot tome,asI wasonceapart of theEnglish asaSecond Language(ESL)program I wasassigned to tutor aninternational student,TianyuWang,whowas fromBeijing,China Duringthecourse,I constructedmy ownlessonplansandlesson materialsbased ontheskills that TianyuwantedtoimprovewhilelearningEnglish.We met onceaweek for about anhour,duringwhichI shared thelesson I hadprepared,helpedher withany assignmentsshehad,andgaveher thesupport she neededinher academicjourney Overall,I enjoyed the experienceof beingateacher,andI amexcitedto apply theskillsI learnedtomy career.

Thisfall semester,I transitionedfromlivingoncampusin thedormstolivinginanoff-campusapartment,which wassoexciting I wasenrolledinfour English-focused coursesthisfall that introducedmetoavariety of informationandskills My English358:TheRomantic Poetsclasswasvery interesting,asI got aformal introductiontopoetslikeWilliamWordsworthand Samuel Taylor Coleridge.Thisclassalsobrought back memories,like,for example,whileI wasstudying Coleridge?sKublaKhan,I wasbrought back tohavingto memorizeit inMr DavidWilson?sclassmy freshmanyear at MVRHS AsI advancemy academiccareer,I become evenmoregrateful for thesupport that MVYouthhas offeredme Thank youtoeveryoneinvolvedinthis programand tothosewhoaremakingmy academic successpossible!

MARIA CLARA LACERDA

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Boston,acity pulsatingwithinnovationandcultural vibrancy,hasbecomethecanvasfor atransformative chapter inmy lifethispast semester Amidst historic streetsandmodernskyscrapers,I'vediscoverednot just an academichavenbut athrivingcommunity that consistently exposesmetonew perspectivesand opportunities.This past semester I delved intoadiversearray of classes, shapingmy current academicandpersonal landscape

Inthefinancial realm,engaginginafinancial management classgavemevaluableinsightsintomanagingmonetary resourcesandmakinginformed decisions Simultaneously, aquantitativeanalysisclassequipped mewithanalytical tools,enhancingmy ability tointerpret dataanddraw meaningful conclusions.

Onthepsychology side,takingapersonality classaddeda uniquedimension,fosteringself-discovery andenhancing my understandingof humanbehavior invariouscontexts, enrichingnot onlypersonal relationshipsbut also broadeningmy perspectiveonother relationships

By immersingmyself inablendof datascienceand businessclasses,my professional trajectorynow points towardsacareer inthebiotechindustry Theprospect of applyingmy skillsat theintersectionof businessand technology isthrilling,andI'mparticularly excitedabout contributingtothedynamiclandscapeof the biopharmaceutical sector

Withtheseaspirationsinmind,I embarkedonasearchfor aco-opthat encapsulatesthesefacets Fortunately,I securedtheopportunity toco-opthissemester at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals,agroundbreakingbiopharmaceutical company basedinCambridge,dedicated tothediscovery, development,andcommercializationof RNA interference therapeuticsfor genetically defineddiseases

I'mimmenselythankful for theopportunityto attend NortheasternUniversity inBoston,ajourney made possiblewiththesupport of MVYouth I planto seizeevery opportunity andeagerly anticipatethepromisingfuture that liesahead

RUBY REIMANN BATESCOLLEGE

AsI reflect onmy fall semester at BatesCollege,I am deeply grateful for theopportunitiesthat MVYouth hasmadepossiblefor me After workingintheEarly ChildhoodProgramthispast summer at MVCS,I started my thirdpre-seasonwiththeBatesWomen?s Soccer Team.I had workedhardover thesummer to stay fit and wasselectedasthestartinggoalkeeper. Whilewedidnot haveenough winstomakeit to post-seasonplay,I had awonderful surprisefromthe MVRHSgirls?ssoccer teamto seeour gameagainst Tuftsinearly October I wasalsonamedtothe NESCAC2023 Fall All-AcademicTeam.Despitean unfortunateconcussionthat sidelinedmefor thelast twogames,I amgrateful for theexperiencesand growthwithmy teammatesthisseason

I declaredamajor inPsychology last year and engagedinchallengingcoursework thissemester withastandout experienceinResearchMethods I conductedarandomizedsurveystudyingJewish and Protestant Americans.Thishands-onresearch presentedapositiveand challengingopportunity to refinemy skillsinresearch,datacollection,and analysis

Themass-shootingincident at theendof October was extremely scary and,whilenoonefromBateswas directly affected,theLewistoncommunity continues torecover.I amlookingforward tomy spring semester abroadinGranada,Spain I haveenrolledin coursesthat will enrichmy HispanicStudiesminor I will betakingclassesinCross-Cultural Psychology, TheArab WorldandTheWest,and Flamenco dancing.TheIESprogramalsoincludestripsto Córdoba,Sevilla,and Morocco!

Lookingforward,I amhopingto secureaninternship inBostonnext summer and just learnedthat I was accepted toaJobShadow programthat will helpto refinemy internshipgoals I amalsoexcitedabout the opportunity toresideoff-campusnext fall and planningfor my Psychology thesiscourse

ERIC REUBENS TUFTSUNIVERSITY

Asmy fall semester comestoacloseat Tufts University asaJunior,I look back at all of the activitiesandcommitmentsthat madethis past semester soeventful insideand outside of theclassroom I spent thispast fall studying virusesaswell asembryonicdevelopment in theclassroomwhichhelpedmegainanew perspectiveonhumanbiology and therapeuticsasI inchcloser topreparingfor medical schools Towrapupthesemester,I madeandpresentedapresentationabout the ZikaVirusEpidemicin2016,outliningpast andcurrent viral researchaswell asthe epidemiological perspectiveof theZikaVirus outbreak Outsideof theclassroom,I helped foundaclubat TuftscalledDoctorsWithout Bordersandtook upanE-Boardposition as Secretary.Thepurposeof theclubistospread awarenessof theactivitiesof theactual DoctorsWithout Bordersorganization,hold educational eventswithguest speakersand holddemonstrationsof certainbasicmedical skills.Astheclubgrows,weplantoexpand its goals I wasalsoinvolved inaclubwithsimilar goalscalledGlobal Medical BrigadeswhereI helpedfundraisemoney for medical supplies inunder-resourcedcommunitiesincountries suchasHonduras,Panama,Ghana,etc.The last clubI becameapart of wastheBest BuddiesClubat Tufts,attendingeventswith other Tuftsstudentsandindividualswith disabilitieswhocurrently attendMedfordand SomervilleHighSchool.I continuedother activitiesfromprevioussemesterssuchas playingtheviolinandsquashwhilealso makingpreparationsfor applyingtoMedical Schoolsfor the2025 cycle

KAYA SEIMAN

BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY

Duringthispast year,I havebeenvery focused on school I ammajoringinBusinessAdministration andManagement withaconcentrationinHuman Resourcesat Bridgewater StateUniversity I have enjoyedmany of my professorsand thecontent in general.I amparticularly enjoyingaccountingand humanresourceclasses I alwaysloved mathbut I findgreat satisfactioninaccounting I lovewhen therearedefinitiveanswers,applyingtherulesand balancingthebooks

I alwayslovemy vocal lessonwithProfessor Maryte Bizinkauskas Last week,I performedmy last college recital singingAll TheThingsYouArefromthe musical Very Warmfor May.It wasachallengeto movefromanaltotoasopranoandthegrowthover thislast year wastremendous,albeit frustratingat times I appreciatemy Professor?shigh expectations andtakingmeout of my comfort zone Thislast recital wasby far my best andgrowthwasevident. Withthesupport of theAssistant Deanand many professors,aswell astheir confidence(and approval),I successfully completeda19 credit semester andplanto takeadditional winter and summer classes I amexcitedtograduateinAugust, ayear early

I amworkingat WeClean Dirty CarZ,assistingin theofficeand applyingmy humanresourceskillsto their hiringprocess It isexcitingtouseknowledge learnedinthereal worldand it helpsmerealize possibleemployment opportunitiespost graduation.

Inmy freetime,I enjoy goingintoBostontoenjoy a Celticsgameor dinner intheNorthEnd I alsolove travelingnorthtoski,hikeandrelax.Of course,I lovereturninghometoMartha?sVineyardtovisit my family andfriends,andmy dogs:PikaandRoo Beingactiveand healthy isalsoanintegral part of my wellbeing Betweenschool,work andplay,I feel fulfilledandamenjoyingmy atypical college experience

ELLIE THOMAS WHEATON COLLEGE

Duringmy fall semester,I participated ina programcalledSemester intheCity Semester intheCity isafully-credited fellowshipprogram,allowingundergraduate studentstoimmersethemselvesina semester-longexperienceinBoston.This programoffershands-onlearningthrough meticulously supportedinternshipswithin thedynamiclandscapeof thesocial sector

I hadtheamazingopportunity tointernat Harmony Capital Advisors They area boutiqueinvestment management firmthat focusesonsustainability I wasassigneda great mentor whowalkedmethrough everythingandtaught menew skills At HCA, I wasassignedaspecial project whereI was giventhechancetoenhancetheir portfolio by identifyingtwonew investment opportunities.By theendof thesemester,I hadtopitchmy presentationtothe investment teamanddefendthecompanies that I think they shouldbuy

Thispast semester waseye-openingand important for mebecauseI ammajoringin businessfinanceandfor thefirst time,I can say that I hadanopportunity toimmerse myself inthefinanceworld.My Semester in theCity andinternshipat Harmony Capital Advisorsnot onlybolsteredmy professional competencebut alsoinstilledasenseof confidenceandadaptability I emergedfrom thisexperiencewithawell-rounded understandingof thefinancial sector,grew my professional network,andarenewed enthusiasmfor contributingmeaningfully to theever-evolvingworldof financeina uniqueway

WILLA WELCH

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Thisyear,my most excitingopportunity beganinlateMay whenI acceptedaco-op positionat Draper Laboratory inCambridge. After along,hardsearchfor my first co-op andasuccessful semester of classes includingonenotoriously difficult classcalled ?AlgorithmsandDataStructures,?I was beyondexcitedtoget started at Draper At thispoint,all I knew about Draper wasthat it?sadefenseandspacemanufacturing non-profit Onmy first day I walkedaround theofficewide-eyed,amazed by thespiel of inventions,thegiant moon hanginginthe lobby,and morethananythingthefact that I wasactuallyemployedby thisplace! My teamat Draper tasked mewithall sortsof thingsincludingmodeling,coderefactoring andtesting,participatinginteammeetings, andevenhostingmy ownmeetings Draper andI greetedeachother withtheanswer ?yes?inevery way wecould:I took onany challengethey threw at meandthey assisted methroughany project I wantedtotakeon TheskillsI gained andthepeopleI met during co-opexceededmy expectations.Compared tohow I felt beforestartingat Draper,I?m reassuredby theideathat my resumeisn? t everything What?simportant istheway that I takeonchallenges,pick upnew skills,and ask for helpwhenneeded.AlthoughI?msad my timeat Draper hascometo anend,I?m excitedtostart classesagain Thank youso muchtoMVYouthfor all of your support the past threeyears I amsograteful tohavethe opportunityto pursuemy educationinschool andintheworkplacethroughout my timeat Northeastern

2020 S C H O

PETER BURKE

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

Beginningthisacademicyear,I had ahardtime wrappingmy headaroundthefact that I am already asenior.It feelsasthoughmy timeat MiddleburyCollegehasflownby.Thisfall,I continuedmy coursework inMathematicsand Computer Science,takingcoursescoveringa rangeof topicssuchasBayesianstatistics, quantumcomputing,andlinear algebrafor computer graphics.I foundthissemester extremely rewardingasI enjoyedmy coursework acrosseachof thesetopics

Additionally,thisfall semester I finishedthe requirementsfor my Computer Sciencemajor, andonly await completionof my senior thesisto finishmy Mathematicsmajor Reachingtheend of eachof my majors,I havereflectedonhow luckyI havefelt for theacademicexperience MiddleburyCollegehasprovidedme I feel as thoughI amgraduatinghavingforgeddeeper andmoremeaningful connectionswithbothmy professorsand classmatesthanI ever imagined

Further,thisfall I had theopportunity toserve asacaptainof theCrossCountry teamhereat MiddleburyCollege.Whilecompetinginmy senior seasonfelt abit bittersweet,I wasvery satisfiedwiththisseason Competingat nationalswasanawesomeway to endcross country,and bothmy teammatesand thesport itself continuedto play amajor roleinmy enjoyment of my collegeexperience.

AsI reachtheendof college,I couldnot bemore happywiththepast four years! Middlebury Collegehasprovidedmewithamazing friendships,aswell asgreat experiencesin academicsand athletics I feel that I havetaken advantageof theopportunitiesboththeschool anditslocationhaveprovidedme,and I am beyondgrateful toMVYouthfor helpingto makethisall possible!

IMANI HALL

DUKEUNIVERSITY

My last year at DukeUniversityhasarrived,andit?s hardtobelievehow quickly timehaspassed After four years,I still pinchmyself that I amsoblessed to attendthisinstitution InMay I will graduatewitha degreeinNeuroscience,aminor inPsychology,and acertificateinChildPolicy Research

Thisfall,my primary focuswasmy senior thesis: "Generationof Nuclear-Localized RabiesVirusfor Dissectionof Adult Cortical Circuits?Thisproject reflectsmy passionfor neuroscienceand my dedicationtolearningtheintricateneural circuits andwill allow meto graduatewithdistinction

I amstill actively involvedinthe?SensetoKnow? study at Duke'sCenter for AutismandBrain Development Thisstudy workstowarddeveloping new waystoassesschilddevelopment,usinga screeningapp I amproudtobepart of this cutting-edgeproject,and my involvement hasnot only beenapassion,but hasalsosignificantly influencedandclarifiedmy career direction

Collegeisnot just about academics- I amstill dancingaswell I amtheCo-President of Duke?s premier multicultural dancegroup"Defining Movement?Takingonthisleadershiprolehasbeen demanding,but isprovidingvaluableopportunities for growthandenhancingmy ability tonavigate complexorganizational responsibilities OnFridays, I volunteer asatutor for ?AmericaReads,America Counts?whichisalwaysahighlight of my week I havealsoalwayswantedtobeaDuketour guide,so thisyear I finallywasabletoaddthat tomy list.

I?mtryingtosqueezeinasmuch asI caninmy last year at Duke,andI?mstill incredibly grateful for the continuoussupport of MVYouth.Whilethe prospect of graduatingisarecognitionI have alwaysdreamedof,thetruefulfillment isinthe profoundexperiencesandpersonal growthI have gainedthroughout thisjourney

JACK HOLMES BROWN UNIVERSITY

Thisfall wasagreat beginningtomy senior year! I wasfinally abletomoveoff campus,so my friendsandI got anapartment.Learningto shareour homehasbeenabothfun and fulfillingexperience Weall learnedfromthe challengestogether,and I now feel more preparedfor livingwithother peopleinthe future Academically it wasalsoanexcitingfew months.WiththeclassesI completedover the fall,I amfinishedwiththerequirementsfor my Bachelor of ScienceinCognitive Neuroscience Thisopensupthepossibilities for classesI can takeinmy final spring semester.Over thefall I had takensome history coursesandreally enjoyedthem I had forgottenhow muchI loved history andthe humanitiesmorebroadly I alsogot thechance todosomecreativewritingassignmentswhich reignitedmy passionfor storytelling, worldbuilding,andfictionwriting.I amexcited for theprospect of takingmorehumanities andperhapsevensomecreativewriting coursesinthespring

My peersand I areat avery excitingandscary part of our lives Inafew months,most of us will bedonewithcollege For me,thereisalot of uncertainty about thefuture.Throughout highschool I wasfocusedongettingto college Onceincollege,thegoal becamealot more unclear WhileI havestill devotedmyself to my academicsand togettingthemost out of my schooling,I amnot certainwhat my next steps will be.Thisuncertainty is,asI said,both excitingandscary Thekey for mehasbeen gettingover thefear and focusingonthe excitement Soonthewholeworldwill beat our fingertipsand,inpart thankstoMVYouth, I believeweareall ready tograspwhat comes next

DANIELLE MIDDLETON

HOWARD UNIVERISTY

I?mofficially enteringmy final semester in college! Timehasgoneby swiftly withease,and I credit that tothesupport that MVYouth has givenme.

Withinthispast semester,I havecompleted a minor incommunity health,andI greatly look forwardtospringwhereI will befinishingmy additional minor inSpanishandmy major in Psychology Beyondacademics,I'veremained anactivemember of HowardUniversity's Model UnitedNationsclub,proudly representingtheonly HBCUwithsuchaclub. Our preparationfor arecent conference includedanincredibleexperiencemeetingthe staff of theIcelandicEmbassy to theUnited States! I?malsolearningalot throughmy internship,andwithour hardwork,we?ve receivedapproval fromtheinstitutional review boardtobeginour researchworkingwith participants We?recurrently preparingtobegin gatheringdataassoonasthespringsemester begins.

MVYouth?sunwaveringsupport hasfostered withinmeafeelingof confidenceinmyself,my decisions,andmy capabilities.I?vematuredalot fromthenervousfreshman I usedtobe A large part of thisisduetoMVYouth?sfinancial support I?mimmensely grateful that withthis support,I?vebeengiventheopportunity tolive independently inmy ownapartment,allowing metocultivateasenseof responsibility and autonomy

Eachday getsmecloser and closer to completingmyundergraduatestudies,andI?m really lookingforwardtograduating! Inthe meantime,I?ll bemakingevery moment count andcherishingthisexperience Thank you MVYouth!

JO ORR

WAGNER COLLEGE

Thispast year at Wagner Collegehasbeena whirlwind,but I?mhalfway throughmy junior year After takingoff twoyearsduetothepandemicand limitedperformanceopportunities,I went back to Wagner CollegeintheFall of 2022 AsaMusic Studiesmajor,most of my classesaremusic-based, andI?vegottentotakesomereally funcoursesthis last semester,includingConductingand Orchestration.I?mlookingforward toaJazz Harmony classthisspring,whichwill branchout fromthetypical musictheory content Aswell as musicclasses,I?vealsogottento takeadancecourse every semester,so I?vetakentap,jazz,andballet It?s beenfuntoexploreall thedifferent stylesthat make upmusical theater I?vealsotakensomescience classes,Astronomy 101 and Psychology 101 inthe past year

I?vecontinued towork onauditioningat school and havehad several callbacksandauditionprocesses, inpersonand online

Outsideof school,I hadabusy summer I wasso happy toreturntotheMV Playhouse?soutdoor amphitheater to play SebastianinTwelfthNight We weresupposedtohaveamonth-longrun,but it was sopopular it extended tofiveweeks InAugust,I helpeddevelopanew character at aworkshopfor a new play namedStoryfiedat thePlayhouse I also continued towork on-island

I?vecontinued toadvocatefor transgender rightsas moreanti-translawsarepassedand weget closer to theelection.I hopeto try andeducatepeoplejust by not hidingmyself away Whilepersonally,it wasan emotionally taxingyear,I?mextremely grateful that I got togoto college It?sbeenaprivilegetobeableto doall this,and noneof it would havebeenpossible without MVYouth

SPENCER POGUE

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Thesepast few monthshavegoneby quickly,but I have accomplishedalot inthem,andI look forwardto soon reachingthefinishlineof my collegeeducation

At thestart of thesemester,I madeaslight changeinmy courseof study,switchingmy major fromBiological SciencestoNeuroscienceandBehavior becauseI havea lot of interest incell therapiesand drugdiscovery for neurodegenerativediseases Thischangeenabledmeto takeclasseslikeNeurobiology,CognitiveNeuroscience, andSocial Neuroscienceandprovidedmewith foundational knowledgecoveringavast array of topics, rangingfromsensory physiologyto theneural basisof moral decision-making I alsotook OrganicChemistry so that I couldlearnmoreabout thechemical processesthat drivethedevelopment of different pharmaceutical productsusedinmedicine Overall,my classesthis semester werechallenging,but theknowledgeI gained mademy effortsworthit

Outsideof my courses,I continuedmy researchwiththe International Center for AIDSCareand Treatment Programat theColumbiaUniversity School of Public Healthandsubmittedaresearchpaper ontrendsinHIV testingutilizationinLesothotoajournal for publication Thereview processwill takemany months,but hopefully, thepaper will bepublishedby thissummer

I alsomadesuretoleavesomeroomfor fun,sosomeof my favoritemomentsthissemester werehavingapicnicwith friendsinRiversidePark,seeingajazzshow at Lincoln Center,andperusingthestallsof theHester Street Fair withmy sisterswhenthey cametovisit me

Asfor my post-graduateplans,I havebegunsearchingfor andapplyingtojobsinbiotechnology,global health,and healthcarepolicy,andI havealready startedto interview withafew companies,mostly inBostonandSanFrancisco.

I cannot expressenoughhow muchI appreciateMV outh for supportingmyacademicjourney at Columbiaand I hopethat I will continuetorepresent theMartha?s Vineyardcommunity well

ALEXANDRA REGO DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

Oh,how thetimehasflown! I excitedly look forward tomy June2024 graduationfrom DartmouthCollege,whenI will walk away from Hanover,New HampshirewithaBachelor of Arts degreeinGeography andGovernment I am spendingtheremainder of my senior year relishinginmy friendshipsand exciting coursework,whilealsowelcomingthe independenceand newnessof postgraduatelife.I amlearningtonavigatethemost uncertainty I haveencounteredinmy 22 years,andI have foundthisprocessto benet-positive!

Thispast year,I hadtheopportunity tostudy abroad for thesecondtimeinmy undergraduate career,thistimefocusingonclimatescienceand climatejusticeaffairsinSanFrancisco,Morocco, Nepal,and Ecuador withtheInternational HonorsProgram I alsospent thesummer interninginSanFranciscoat theTenderloin NeighborhoodDevelopment Corporation,where I wroteaPeople?sHistory of theTenderloin neighborhoodto advocatefor housingjustice and relatedsocial justiceinitiatives Theclimate crisis(thefocusof my study abroadprogram)and thehousing/cost-of-livingcrisis(thefocusof my summer internship)arefelt acutely onMartha?s Vineyard,and haveguidedmy academicand career trajectories.I plantotakethislearning back homeinsome(still to-be-determined) capacity

And,intheveinof Martha?sVineyardbeingmy northstar,I needtoonceagainextendamassive thank youtoall involvedinthework beingdone at MVYouth I waswithout wordsreceivingthis scholarship,and I amwithout wordsstill.Thank youfor shapingmy understandingof community inaway that I carry withmetoeducational institutions,toworkplaces,and inmy relationships Thisdegreeisalsoyours Best wishesfor thenew year!

STEPHANY RIBEIRO

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY

Completingthefall courseshasbeenanincredible culminationof my academicjourney,especially asI wrap upthelast coursesfor my concentrationafter conqueringall therequirementsfor my minor incriminal justice.Thearrayof coursesI'veimmersedmyself inhas beenbotheye-openingandenriching,shapingmy comprehensionof thecomplexitieswithinthese intertwinedfields

Fromdelvingintothe"Sociology of Crimeand Violence" todissectingtheintricaciesof the"US Judicial System" andexploringthecritical dimensionsof "Discretionin Criminal Justice," eachcoursehasbeenasteppingstone towardamorecomprehensiveunderstandingof the intricatewebthat definestheworldof law and justice Currently engrossedin"Adolescent Development" and "Disordersof Child/Adolescents," thesecourseshave beenparticularly fulfilling,aligningperfectly withmy passionfor understandingthepsychological intricacies of youngminds TheseinsightshavebeeninvaluableasI work towardmy psychology degreewitha concentrationinchildandadolescent development, complementedby aminor incriminal justice Knowing I'll graduatein2024 isanexhilaratingprospect,a testament tothededicationand hardwork that has goneintothisjourney

Thisachievement isincredibly meaningful to me,made possibleby thesupport of MVYouthscholarshipthat has beeninstrumental inrealizingthisdream Four yearsof balancingafull-timejobwithfull-timeonlinestudiesat SNHU havebeenchallenging,but they'vealsobeen incredibly rewarding.AsI reflect onthisjourney,I'm immensely proudof how far I'vecomeandfeel prepared for thenext chapter post-graduation

Lookingforward,my aspirationsextend beyondearning abachelor'sdegree I'mfueledby theambitiontopursue amaster'sdegree,drivenby thepassionand commitment that haveguidedmethusfar Theseyears havebeenatestament todedication,andthey'veonly fueledmy hunger for moreknowledgeand deeper explorationinthefieldI'mpassionateabout

ZEPHRINE THOMPSON

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Thisyear brought someexcitingchangesandnew chancesto makethemost of my college experience. InthespringI bravedmy Econcourse requirements(andcameout ontop!),took a fascinatingclassonFrenchcrimewriting,and continued my Global Healthstudies Myglobal mental healthcoursewastaught by twoincredible womenfromtheNational Institute of Mental Health.Throughtheir connections, wewelcomed over 10 guest speakersfromorganizationssuchas theNIMH,UnitedNations,and WorldHealth Organization Weheardabout their researchin thefield,simulatedcasestudiesbasedontheir experiences,and talkedthroughtheprocessof implementinghealthpolicy whenit demands international cooperation Withthepromiseof warmer weather I alsorejoinedGW?sclublacrosse team,and hadsomuch fungettingoutsideand immersingmyself back intothesport My school requiresthat weliveoncampusfor 3 years,but as Fall 2023 saw thebeginningof my senior year I was finally abletomoveintoanapartment Whilethe dormswill alwaysholdaspecial placeinmy heart, livinginanapartment buildinghasbrought asense of calmand ?adultness?that isquitenice! I wasable tobringmy keyboardand someother instruments fromhome(and aframedmapof theVineyard,of course),andI foundthat theability tocreatea spaceof my ownhasbrought arefreshingsense of personal growth.I alsojoinedanew theater group, GW Shakespeare,for their productionof The Winter?sTale It wassuchawonderful and dedicatedcommunity tobeapart of,andsolidified my belief that Shakespearenerdsactually makelife morefun Winter?s Tale wastruly ahighlight of 2023;assuch,I thought it only appropriateto use my character portrait asthisyear?sphoto! I know that 2024 will bringmorenew chancesand exciting things,and asalways,I amendlessly grateful to MVYouthfor thechancetoexperience them 39

GRADUATE REPORTS

Inthefollowingpages,youcanread about theMVYouth scholarshiprecipientswhohavegraduatedandcompleted their trainingprograms Inour first nineyears,33 studentswill havegraduatedfromfour-year collegeprogramsand

6 studentswill havecompletedoneandtwo-year technical trainingprograms Somearetravelingnow,someare working,somearepursuingfurther education They aregrowingupandlivingall over thecountry doingwonderful things.It isapleasuretobeabletowitnesstheir evolution.

Biddeford,ME

Burlington,VT

Boston,MA

Chicago,IL

Ellington,CT

Lafayette,CO

LosAngeles,CA

Martha'sVineyard,MA

Miami,FL

New Haven,CT

New York City,NY

Princeton,NJ

Plymouth,MA

Providence,RI

Seattle,WA

Somerville,MA

Washington,DC

Walnut Creek,CA

JP ALVES

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

It iscrazy tothink how fast timehasflownthesepast four yearsat the University of SanDiego It seemsasif only yesterday I waswritingmy first updatefor my semester havingmovedtoCalifornia Lifehasbeen everythingbut predictablethispast year andcontinuestounfold in tremendousways.Havingrecently movedtodowntownManhattan,I am findingmy footinginthecity?senergeticenvironment andadjustingtothis new chapter inmy life I beganworkingfor Housecall Proinearly July Asa leadingtechnology company for homeservicebusinesses,thecompany hasbeenservingasagreat introductionintotheworkforcewith consistent daily challenges.

Inconjunctionwithmy full-timejob,I amacandidatefor aMaster?sof ScienceinSupply Chain Management at theUniversityof SanDiego,the sameuniversity I receivedmy undergraduatedegreeinInternational Businessfrom My decisiontopursuefurther educationhasenabledmeto continueexpandingmy knowledgeinavery prevalent fieldwith applicationsacrossvariousindustries Mergingmy newfoundknowledge inthetechnological spacewiththeintricaciesof supply chainmanagement isallowingfor agreater understandingof thenext stepsI will betakingin my career ThepositionI holdtoday wouldhaveonly beenadreamwithout thegenerousaid MVYouthprovided.I amthankful for thedoorsthat MVYouthhasopened for me,andameager to contributetothisincredible organizationinthefuture Thank youfor everything!

I genuinely appreciateevery timeLindsey reachesout toustosharean updateonthepast year It isalovely excusetoreflect onanother year lived and look forwardto what comesnext Intakingthetimetowritethis update,I haverealizedthat my 2023 wasonecontinuouslymarked with significant transitions

InNovember 2022,I played my last ever competitivesoccer matchand preparedmyself for my first academicsemester without anever-present stapleinmy life.Whilebittersweet,it providedmetheopportunity to explorethevast array of collegelifethat I didn't havethetimeto explore before Fromgarneringnew friendshipstofosteringonesthat wouldsoon cometoaclose,it wasanenlighteningexperience BeforeI knew it,the semester wasover and it wastimetoleaveMount St Jamesfor afinal time.

I wasextremely lucky tospendthesummer road-trippingacrossthe country towardsmy final destination,LosAngeles,andevenmorelucky to catchafew Dead andCoshowsontheway.SinceI arrived inJuly,I have started workinginaPhysician'sofficewhilestudyingfor theMCATwhichI planto takeinMay of thisupcomingyear Lifehasbeencomingthick and fast,but thenew challengeshavebrought continuedexcitement and opportunitiestolearnand grow I can't wait toseewhat more2024 hasin store!

Asalways,my gratitudefor all of MVYouth'ssupport cannot beoverstated Fromthebottomof my heart,thank youso muchfor all of your continued support!

NICOLASANDRE

COLLEGEOF HOLY CROSS

SAM BRESNICK

BOSTON COLLEGE

Thispast year I beganworkingat Proskauer RoseintheBostonoffice I alsotook theLSATover thesummer and finishedmy applicationsto law school I appliedmainly toschoolsintheNew York City andBostonarea Currently,I amawaitingadmissionsdecisions My timeat Proskauer has beeneyeopening It hasgivenmeexposuretomany different fieldsof law includingsports,corporateandreal estate Gettingto seethesedifferent practiceareasat thegroundlevel hashelpedshapemy career goals.I?ve gottentheopportunity toexploremy interest insportslaw whereI?ve beenabletolearnabout someof thepressingissuesintheworld of sports likeAI useinmarketing,Name,ImageandLikeness(NIL)and TV/Media rights,tonameafew Buildingoff of thework I didwithBostonCollege Football duringmy undergradyears,I?vefoundthat I wouldliketowork withand adviseleaguegoverningbodiesandinstitutions,liketheNCAA,in navigatingtheconstantly changinglegal landscapeof sports I amlooking forwardtogoingback toschool thisupcomingfall andamexcitedfor all thechallengesthat lieahead I amappreciativeof theopportunity to continuelearningabout my passionsand all therelationshipsI will make alongtheway.I cannot thank MVYouthenoughfor thework they doin supportingtheIslandcommunity Thank you

SAM CRANSTON

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

Last spring,I graduatedfromtheUniversity of Vermont withaBA in Biologyand adoubleminor inChemistry andHistory Perhapsequally as significant,I completed anindependent research project focusedon emergingandexpandingtick-bornepathogensinVermont.Thisproject preparedmefor thedemandingnatureof scientificresearch It also showedmehow rewardingit can beto completealong-termstudy My researchadvisor andI arecurrently finalizingamanuscript that wewill submit for publicationinsomeof thetopjournalsinthefield of disease ecology.

Followinggraduation,I havecontinuedto follow my passionfor scientific researchthroughapositionasalabmanager at BostonUniversity'sCenter for RegenerativeMedicine(CReM).At theCReM,I work intheMurphy Laboratory studyinghealthy agingandresiliency Weapproachthisby examiningthegeneticsignaturesof Centenarians,individualswholivepast 100 yearsold Inthisnew role,I amlearninglaboratory techniquesthat differ significantly fromtheskillsI acquiredduringmy undergraduate research.Thecombinationof thesediverseresearchexperienceswill undoubtedly makemeastronger scientist inthefuture

Inthefall of 2024,I will apply toPhD programsinbiological scienceat schoolsaroundthecountry.InaPhD program,I hopetospearhead scientificresearchthat canprovidenovel insightsintocombatinghuman disease

Theyearly MVYouth updateprovidesanopportunity for metoreflect on my initial inspirationsfor pursuingacareer inscience Duringmy junior year of highschool,I wasinvolvedinaproject aimedat combatingLyme diseaseonMartha?sVineyard,sparkingmy passionfor research Duringmy interviewsfor theMVYouthscholarship,I distinctly remember the interviewersencouragingmetofollow thispassion.Your belief inme continuestoinspiremetothisday Thank you

GARRETT BROADLEY

NEW ENGLAND INSTITUTEOF TECHNOLOGY

MARISSA

D'ANTONIO

BOSTON COLLEGE

Hello,not muchat all haschangedfrommy last update I really amnow seeingwhat beinganadult means- I?ll tell youthat Now that I?mliving withmy girlfriend inConnecticut becauseMV just sadly wasn? t inmy budget tolivethere,I?mlearningwhat new responsibilitiesthereareto beinganadult,I?mnow workingmostly around48 hoursroughly aweek, and every hour of those48 I?mlearningsomethingnew Carsareonly goingto get morecomplex Mybrainisinover driveevery day,fromfinding new waystodiagnosevehiclesfaster so theshophasmorecashflow to findinglittleinshoptipsandtricksto useto repair it just that muchfaster soI can moveontosomethingelseand not bebehindinjobs But thereis alwaysthat one30 minutejobthat for somereason wantstofight and turnsintoa4 hour job,but how doyouchargefor that,it?snot the customersfault so that?swhy youhavetorecognizeaproblemthat might besoit?snot aproblemyouend uprunninginto.TheeducationI got from NEITdefinitelyhavemeaboost tothefinishlinebut I?mnot kiddingwhenI say that thefinishlinekeepsgettingfurther and further away asnew cars areproducedI?mnever not learning I havenodoubt inmy mindif I didn? t get helpfromthe workforcescholarshipI would beso far behindinmy educationI wouldbeinsanely overwhelmedwithtryingtokeepup.SoI will beforever grateful for theopportunitiesthisscholarshipprogram providedme

Thisyear hasbrought many changes! Tostart theyear off I wasworkingas anITConsultant inDenver Withthisjobmainly beingwork-from-home,I decidedI neededtofindsomethingwhereI would get out of my houseand interact withcolleagues! Thisfall I madetheswitch,andamnow working astheFinancial SystemCoordinator for CU Boulder?sContinuing Educationdepartment Sinceworkinginthisposition,I havelearnedalot moreabout accountingthanI ever thought I would Thoughthisisamuch different career thanI saw myself doing,I amvery muchenjoyingit I amso happy I madetheswitch! I currently gointotheofficetwodaysaweek and work fromhometheremainingdays Thishasbrought muchmore cooperationtomy role,andI havegottentoknow my new colleagueswell over thelast several months I alsolovebeingonacampusagain!

Withmy jobswitch,I decidedtofindanapartment closer toBoulder! I foundanicelittleapartment inLafayette,Colorado,whichisright between Boulder and Denver My commuteisarguably oneof themost beautiful, withvast viewsof themountainstheentiredriveintotheoffice.Since most of my friendsstill liveinDenver,I makemy way intothecity about onceaweek My central locationhasbeenamazing,givingmeasmall-town feel withaccessto twoamazingcities

I spendmy freetimehikinginthemountainsandexploringsmall mountain towns! ThoughI alwaysthought I wasabeachperson,I loveall the mountainshavetooffer Inthesummertime,I didabunchof hikesupin Rocky MountainNational Park withmy dogArchie,andnow that it?s gottencolder I havebeenexploringsmall trailsnearby.

Thank youMVYouth!

KATHELEEN DOSSANTOS

TONI AND GUY HAIRDRESSING ACADEMY

InApril,I graduated fromcosmetologyschool.Duringthoseninemonths,I madeaneffort toshow upeveryday andapply myself asmuchaspossible I wasproudly oneof thefirst peopleinmy classtoreceivemy diploma Alongwiththat,I wasableto passmy stateboardexam,whichwasa pivotal moment inthecommencement of my career Thesepast few monthshavebeenlife-changing.Achievingthisat ayoungagefeels incredible I returnedback totheVineyardandstartedworkingfull-timeat "Maggie'sSalon" I had beenworkingtherefor threeyearsmorebehind the scenesbut now I?mneededmoreonthefloor assistingand mixingcolors

Thenext bigthingthat happened last year wasthat towardsthemiddleof summer,I wasallowedtostart takingclients Tobehonest inthe beginning,I wasnot confident,I had practically just finishedmy training and wasnow expectedtojumpintoworkingonhair full-time.I wasshy and nervous,but astimewent onandmy clienteleexpanded,I begantofeel moreconfident inmy skills I owealot tomy coworkers,they havebeenso kindinteachingmenew techniquesandwaystoimprovetheskillsI had already acquired I havebeenslowly expandingmy services I havebeen doingcolor,styleand afew chemical treatments

Duringthiswinter,I havebeenpracticingmorewithmannequinsdoing foilsandhaircuts I?vebeencomparingtechniquestohelpchoosewhichI likebest,and withthat learningtodotheservicesquicker and more efficiently MaggiehasencouragedmetobringinmodelssoI canget more comfortablecuttingreal hair My goal isthat by thissummer,I will be allowedtogivehaircutstoreal clients Therealizationof my dreams comingtrueissothrilling I amsograteful for theopportunity that MVYouth haspresentedme.Thank youfor openingthisdoor for meand allowingmetoachievemy dream

ROSE ENGLER

BROWN UNIVERSITY

Thisyear,I startedmedical school at BrownUniversity andit hasbeen nothingshort of awe-inspiring

I wasincredibly nervousfor thistransition I knew that medical school would bechallenging,andassumedthechallengewouldbringalong anxiety But it hasn? t Instead,thischallengehasbrought mean overwhelmingsenseof peace? I feel likeI amexactly whereI am supposedto beat thisexact moment.Andit shocksme.I haveactually foundmy passion,and I amgrateful every day

Over thepast sixmonths,theworldof medicinehasbegunto unfold beforeme,revealingitscomplexitiesandwonders,andI?vefoundmyself deeply inlovewithevery aspect of thisimmensely rewardingfield I realized that rather thanlearningfor my owncuriosity(whichishow I have approached learninginthepast),I amlearningfor my futurepatients I feel honored andhumbled tobegiventheopportunity,space,andsupport to learnhow to heal and tobetrustedwithsucharemarkableresponsibility. Thisrealizationhasledmetoadeepsenseof respect for thematerial and thedoctors,peers,andpatientswhoteachme

Last semester,I helpedaplasticsurgeonbuildanentirelynew,operational thumbfor awoodworker whosawedhisthumboff buildingachair for his daughter?sbirthday I witnessedthebirthof ababy toparentswhohad gonethroughfour cyclesof IVF I observedanorthopedicsurgeoninsert a rod intoa12-year-old?sfemur,ensuringthat acar crashwouldn? t endhis passionfor dance,andlistened asapsychiatrist helpeda10-year-oldfind her lost memories.It?slikemagic.

I?mincredibly humbledand grateful for thecontinued support and generosity of MVYouth.Thankstotheir kindness,BrownUniversity has becomemy incrediblebeginning,and I get tobecomeadoctor.

LEE FARACA

CAL POLY

ANDRESGARCIA

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Wow,timeflies.A statement I hadheardmany timesthat my younger self oftendismissed However,thesepast,post graduateyears,haveflownand every year seemsto goby faster I quiteenjoy readingtheAnnual Report toseeall thelatest developmentsontheIslandand what interesting storiesandexperiencesmy peershavetoshare It?sagreat indicationof all thepossibilitiesMVYouthhasprovidedand therecipientshavecontrived. Thank youMVYouth!

I?vebeenworkingat Lee+Ro,inWalnut Creek,Californiafor thepast two andahalf years I work asaconsultingProject Engineer workingwith variousBay Areaaswell asLACounty publicagencies,municipalities,and Cities My specialty isthetreatment and transport of water and sewage, whether that bepumpingwater toareservoir andtreatingit;or rehabilitatingand upgradingwastewater treatment processesat aplant.I amslowly learningsomeinstrumentationand controlsengineering throughaProject Manager,aswell assomeHVACdesign

Throughout thelatter half of COVID I got really intocookingand backpacking I livefor theweekendsandlovetobackpack Therearea coupletripsplannedfor JoshuaTreeand DesolationWildernessthis spring My eveningsusually consist of watchingMasterchef Australia(or somethingsimilar)followedby ameek attempt at cookinggourmet food I amstill involved inEngineersWithout Borders?SanFrancisco Professional Chapter,especially withtheEthiopianProject teamin Weledi.AstheTigray-Ethiopianconflict settlesdown,we?ll investigateour next project Duringthepast year wemanagedtofinishpost implementationmonitoringandquality assuranceandcloseout alatrine andhandwashingproject built in2016 My guessisit will likely beanew clinicandsomeminor floodingmitigation

My final year at Cornell hasbeenagreat experience Asanearly admit to Cornell?sMaster of Engineeringprogram,I wasabletobeginmy Master?s inthespringwhilesimultaneously finishingupmy Bachelors Witha passionfor entrepreneurship,I chosetoget my Master?sinMechanical Engineeringwithaconcentrationindesignand robotics For my oneyear project,I worked onarobot that usesmachinelearningtoidentify and recover plasticwaste I wantedtousetheengineeringskillsthat I?ve developedtowardsameaningful project that canpromotesustainability, andthisproject wasaperfect fit.By theendof theyear,I built aninitial proof of concept andranpreliminary tests

After graduatingwithmy Bachelorsinthespring,I decidedtostay at Cornell andcontinuetowork inaresearchlab.I took thistimetoget ahead inmy classesand toapply tojobs I?mhappy to say that I wasabletosecure anassociatepositionat TheBostonConsultingGroup AsI finishedupmy Master?sinthefall,I knew that I wantedto pursueanMBA inthefuture I want to combinemy engineeringskillswithbusinesstocreatemy own start-up.I know that workingasaconsultant will preparemefor that andI amcurrently workingtoapply toStanford?sMBA program

Inthesenext few monthsuntil I beginmy career,I planto takesometime torelax andtravel I want tovisit theGalapagosIslandsand tour Europe I ambeyondthankful for all of thesupport that MVYouth hasgivenme throughout thesepast four years Their support hasbeenmonumental to my academicsuccessat Cornell,and I?mexcitedfor lifeafter college

JULIA GOMES

NEW ENGLAND HAIR ACADEMY

My nameisJuliaand I graduatedfromMVRHSin2020 withanMVYouth workforcescholarship Sincethen,I havebeenworkingasadual-licensed cosmetologist and barber inMassachusetts Asof January2023,I have beenworkingasaboothrenter rather thanacommissionstylist This meansthat I amconsideredself-employedandfully responsiblefor all aspectsof my business.I havelearnedalot thispast year asI took alarge leapintotheworkforceworldand accomplishedoneof my goalsasa businessprofessional Withinthelast several months,I?vehad toadapt to new waystoadvertisemyself inmy new rental space Beyondthe traditional annual coursesand classesI taketokeepupwithmodern trendsand techniques,I took anextensioncertificationprogram,social mediaclasses,businessclasses,andeven somemental healthtraining.

InOctober of 2023,I married awonderful manwhofully supportsand encouragesmeinmy field.Asanelectrician,heunderstandstheworkforce well andhasbeenhelpful inmy new businessendeavors Healwayspushes metotakethat additional steptoalwaysstandout fromthecrowd

I commutedafew daysaweek frommy rental spacetotheislandand servicedmy MV clienteleat PanacheSaloninWest Tisbury ownedby Tracy Briggs Althoughhousingkeepsmeoff theisland,I still planto commutethroughthesummersfor aslongaspossible,astheisland?s clientelefeelslikehome.2023 wasawonderful year of learning.I learned somuch about my business,theindustry,extensions,and most importantly tobepatient withmyself andtohavefunalongtheride I can? t wait tosee what I amabletoaccomplishprofessionally in2024 and I amforever grateful for MVYouth

LENA HANSCHKA

COLBY COLLEGE

For thelast year,I havebeenbased inBurlington,VT,workingat ChamplainCommunity Services(CCS),anonprofit that provides developmental servicesand healthcaretoVermonterswithintellectual disabilitiesand autism I joinedtheCCSteamasaDirect Support Professional last Januaryand workedone-on-onewithindividualshelping tosupport theminthecommunity,navigatetheir daily life,and respondto challengesasthey arise InJune,I steppedintoanew roleasaService Coordinator and I now manageacaseloadof 11 clients My responsibilities include:helpingindividualsmanagetheir finances;schedulingmedical appointments;coordinatingsupportsbothinthecommunity andinthe workplace;and overseeingthemany other detailsthat helpenablepeople toliveasindependently aspossible I lovebeingapart of thisorganization, whichhelpsfoster amoreinclusiveand supportivecommunity herein Vermont I havelearned agreat deal fromthepeopleI work withand can truly say that I havebecomeabetter personbecauseof my timewiththem. I oweahugedebt of gratitudetomy clients,their families,and my colleaguesfor challengingmetothink moredeeply about what it meansto liveinacommunity whereeveryonehastheopportunity tofeel included, nurtured,andsustained Thank youto MVYouthfor helpingmeget to whereI amtoday

SAMANTHA HARGY

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSTY

Thelast year hasbrought many lifechanges,bothpersonallyand professionally.Mymomunexpectedly passed away inFebruary 2023,andI took afew weeksoff frommy graduatestudiesto travel homeandbewith family Evenso,inMay I graduatedontimefromJohnsHopkinsSAISwitha Master of ArtsinInternational Relations Withnosolid planfor after graduation,I movedback totheislandwhileI waitedtohear fromjob applications.For thosefamiliar withEdgartownSeafood,you'll be interestedtoknow that thebusinesswaspurchasedby threeof my best friendsinMarch2023,whocontactedmeand askedif I wouldassist them withtheir bookkeeping Withzerobookkeepingskillsbut lotsof ambition,I took onthisproject and continueto holdthisposition If you'reever in need of great seafood,gosay hi tomy friends(and now bosses)Andy, Jimmy,and Crockett at EdgartownSeafood! InMayI accepted aposition at theWoodrow WilsonInternational Center for ScholarsinWashington, DC,whereI work asaProgramCoordinator intheMexicoInstitute The MexicoInstituteseekstoincreaseunderstanding,communication,and cooperationbetweentheUnitedStatesand Mexicothroughtheactive discussionof issuesrelevant to bothcountries.Mexicoand theUnited Stateswill bothholdpresidential electionsthisyear,and thetwomain candidatesinMexicoarewomen,sothereisalot of interestingand meaningful work tobedone Aspart of theposition,I enjoy frequent trips toMexicoand theopportunity tocontinuepracticingSpanish I hope everyonehadahappy andhealthy year!

DANIELLE HOPKINS

BARNARD COLLEGE

2023 wasafulfillingandexcitingyear for me.Last springI chosetoattend YaleLaw School after anincredibleapplicationcyclewhereI wasaccepted intoevery school I appliedtoexcept for onewaitlist I wasreally torninmy decisionbetweenNYU and Yalebut ultimately I foundthat Yalewasthe right placefor me I alsowasawardedandnamedarecipient of a scholarshipfromtheMarshall-Motley Scholar ProgramsfromtheLegal DefenseFund.BeingaMarshall-MotleyScholar hasbeenanincredible honor and privilegeandit hastruly mademy first semester at Law School all thebetter MovingtoNew HaveninAugust andbeginningmy first semester of Law School wasincredibly challengingbut alsovery rewarding I havemadesomeamazingfriendsand learnedsomuch inmy courses.

Thesecondhalf of my year wasmostly filledwithclasses,studyingand tryingtostay ontopof all thematerial I learnedbut I alsofoundtimeto exploresomeother interestsof mine.I becamethesocial mediaheadfor theYaleBlack Law StudentsAssociation(BLSA),and alsojoinedtheBLSA mock trial teamwherewewill becompetingnext February inBuffalo,New York I alsoampart of theorganizingteamfor RebLaw (rebellious lawyering),aconferenceheldannually at YaleLaw School tobringtogether ?practitioners,law students,and community activistsfromaroundthe country todiscussinnovative,progressiveapproachestolaw andsocial change?

I amso excitedtobeginmy secondsemester later thismonthbut am grateful for thetimeI havenow torest andconnect withfamily and friends I amsograteful for thesupport andopportunitiesMVYouth providedmethroughout my four yearsof undergradand beyondthat have gottenmetothispoint.Thank you,MVYouth!

OLIVIA "LJ" JACOBS

HAMILTON COLLEGE

2023 markedmy thirdyear buildinghomeinSeattle,Washington andmy first out of grad school I continuedmy work asatherapist and care coordinator inSeattlePublicSchoolsuntil Junebut ultimately decidednot to returnduetoanunexpected personal lossand burnout I?mgrateful to havespent theyear learningfromand supportingsuchresilient young peoplewhilegaininganunderstandingof thesystemsthat arestruggling to meet their needs Duringthesummer months,I nanniedfor two energetictoddlersand got back tomy animal-lovingrootsworkingasa stablehandonalargehorsefarm Thisfall,I beganinmy new roleasthe carecoordinator for acollectiveof therapistswhospecializeinpoliticized healingand traumaprocessingfor thequeer andtranscommunity I am excitedto beapart of thiscollectiveandtheir commitment toconnecting political conditionswithindividual andcollectivemental health Amidst a full year,I continuetoexploremy owngender and feel increasingly embodied asI integratepiecesof my expressionthat werelongburied.Life isshort and what anhonor toreally liveit! Thank youMVYouthfor your support duringundergradandfor beingpart of thereason I canpursue suchafull life,post-gradand beyond

MARLLA LEMOSLANE

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS,BOSTON

2023 markedmy thirdyear buildinghomeinSeattle,Washington andmy first out of grad school I continuedmy work asatherapist and care coordinator inSeattlePublicSchoolsuntil Junebut ultimately decidednot to returnduetoanunexpected personal lossand burnout.I?mgrateful to havespent theyear learningfromand supportingsuchresilient young peoplewhilegaininganunderstandingof thesystemsthat arestruggling to meet their needs Duringthesummer months,I nanniedfor two energetictoddlersand got back tomy animal-lovingrootsworkingasa stablehandonalargehorsefarm.Thisfall,I beganinmy new roleasthe carecoordinator for acollectiveof therapistswhospecializeinpoliticized healingand traumaprocessingfor thequeer andtranscommunity I am excitedto beapart of thiscollectiveandtheir commitment toconnecting political conditionswithindividual andcollectivemental health Amidst a full year,I continuetoexploremy owngender and feel increasingly embodied asI integratepiecesof my expressionthat werelongburied.Life isshort and what anhonor toreally liveit! Thank youMVYouthfor your support duringundergradandfor beingpart of thereason I canpursue suchafull life,post-gradand beyond

CASEY MCANDREWS

HAMILTON COLLEGE

It?shardto believethat I amalmost halfway throughmedical school already! Asasecond-year at UNECOM,I havecompletely falleninlove withlearningthepathophysiology behindvariousmedical conditionsand thepuzzleof figuringout how tobest carefor patients A lot of thisyear hasbeenlearninghow torecognizedifferent clinical presentationsand masteringexamskillstopreparefor thenext twoyears,duringwhichI will spendthemajority of my timeonthehospital floorslearninginreal time.

Outsideof school,I havehadafew incredibleopportunitiesthat have helpedmetofurther exploremy passions Over thepast year,I have continuedtovolunteer at theelementary schoolsinthelocal community, boththroughmentorshipand teaching Throughour school?sPediatric ClubandtheAmericanAcademy of Pediatrics(AAP),I havebeenableto participateinadvocacy initiativesto learnhow toaddressadverse childhoodexperiences(ACEs)and gunviolencepreventioninpediatric populations.

Thispast summer,I wasselectedfor the2023 EndocrineSociety Research for Medical andGraduateStudents(REGMS)Award,whichsupported my work onaresearchproject examiningtheeffectsof calorierestrictionon bonemorphology inapreclinical model TheREGMSprogrambrings together studentsfromacrossthecountry whoareconductingresearchin endocrinology andprovidesavariety of opportunitiesfor career development duringweekly seminarsledby expertsinthefield Asa REGMSrecipient,I will havethechancetosharemy work at theENDO ConferenceinBostonthisJune!

Thank you,again,MVYouthfor all that youdo.I amforever grateful for your support

LOUISE MCDONALD

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Duringmy final semester at NYU,I immersed myself injoy andcelebration, savoringthelast few weeksof my collegejourney whilediligently preparingfor thecorporateworld Throughout my tenureat NYU,I leveragedtheplethoraof jobopportunitiesavailableinthecity,and benefitedfromNYU'spost-graduatecareer resources,whichisdedicated toguidingstudentsthroughthechallengesof securingajobintheir desiredpositionand industry Thisproactiveapproach ledmetosecurean asset management internshipat Cohen& Steerswithintheir Institutional RelationshipManagement department Followingthesuccessful completionof the12-week internshipduringthesummer of 2022,I was not only grantedbut alsoenthusiastically acceptedafull-timeoffer inmy senior year,commencinginAugust 2023.

Now,fivemonthsintomy dreamjobinMidtownManhattan,I am profoundlygrateful to MVYouth.WithMVYouth'sinvaluablesupport,I hadtheprivilegeto connect withtalented andambitiousstudentsand educatorsintheworld'sgreatest city,enablingmetoapply my knowledge toaleadingglobal investment manager specializinginreal assets

Today,my focusisonfurther expandingmy expertiseinthereal assets spacewhiledeliveringtop-tier client servicetoour institutional clients I amfueledby excitement and determinationto thriveinmy professional career,acknowledgingthat thisachievement wouldn't havebeenpossible without thegenerosity of MVYouth.Thank you& cheersto2024!

EVELYN MEDEIROS

MASSACHUSETTSCOLLEGEOF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCEUNIVERSITY

MADELEINE MOORE

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

After workingonamedsurgfloor inBoston,I decidedtochallengemyself toexploreanew areaof nursingby takingapositioninanendoscopy unit hereinNew Jersey Whilelearningfromincredibleendonurses,doctors, andtechs,I havehadtheopportunityto exploreadifferent sideof healthcareinaspecialty whereI feel morefulfilledasanurse Onmy unit, weperformseveral different typesof endoscopicproceduresfor patients sufferingfromavast number of gastrointestinal and pulmonary issues.As anendonurse,I get toadmit patients,participateinawidevariety of procedures,and alsorecover thepatientsafterwards I lovethat I am alwaysdoingsomethingdifferent thantheday beforeand I amconstantly learningmoreabout thehumanbody,meetingnew patientsthat I get to connect with,andparticipatinginsuchhighly specializedprocedures From comfortingsomeonebeforetheir first colonoscopy,toemergently stoppingaGI bleed,tocaringfor my patients?post opcomplications,I now havetheopportunity tohelppatientsinaway so different frombefore I truly feel that I havetheability tomoredirectly and moreeffectively care for my patientsduetomy uniquepositionasanendonurse I amso thankful for how far I havecomesincefirst startingnursingschool to whereI amnow asanRN,and noneof it would bepossiblewithout the generoushelpfromMVYouth Aspart of my growththisyear,I haveeven beenableto trainother new endoscopynurses,aswell asteachnew grad nursesskillsnot taught innursingschool suchashow tostart anIV This year hasbeensorewardingand I look forward towhat my nursingfuture hasinstore.

In2023,I wasthrilled toleadaneffort tounionizemy workplace Thiswas over ayear inthemakingandinvolvedcountlesshoursof personal contact and organizing Thispast July,wereceivedvoluntary recognitionfromour management teamand I amnow proudtocall myself amember of the CommunicationWorkersof America,alongsideover 150 of my coworkers! Outsideof labor organizing,I continuetowork to fundraisefor politicians suchasSenator Brownand Senator Warnock,aswell asnonprofitslike SavetheChildrenat MissionWired Inthisrole,I adviseclientsondigital strategy,aswell aswrite,draft,andproducefundraisingemail andSMS messages.After ahardfought and successful 2022 cycle,I amexcitedto work hardtoprotect theseseatsin2024.

I continuetolovelivinginDC andalwaysfindtimetoexplorenew museums,restaurants,andmore However,I amalwaysthrilled totravel back homeand seemy siblings,onewhoisnow workingat theWest Tisbury School andanother whoisnow asenior at MVHRS.

ANNIE OLLEN BARNARD COLLEGE

CHARLES PARKHURST

UCLA

2023 wasanother year of growthasI continuemy career ineducationon Martha?sVineyard.It ismy thirdyear workingat theWest Tisbury School ? now inmy new roleasaMathInterventionist Inthisrole,I support studentstomeet their individual mathgoalsand boost their confidenceas mathstudents I amintheprocessof applyingtograduateschoolsfor a Master?sinEducationwithafocusonteachingmiddleschool math I hope tostart classesnext fall.Inadditionto supportingstudentsinthe classroom,I amoneof theadult supervisorsof theStudent Council which helpstoorganizecommunity serviceprojectsand school-wideevents I alsocoachthevolleyball teaminthespring,and amtheAssistant Director for theschool play

Everyday I amthankful for theopportunity towork inthesame elementary school andcommunity that helpedtoshapethepersonI am today Theteachersand mentorsthat providedmewithanincredible educationand passionfor learningareahugereasonwhy I fell inlovewith teachingasanadult I hopetobeableto createthesamepositiveimpact for thenext generationof islandkids

MVYouth?scontinued investment intheyoungpeopleonthisIslandallows kidslikemeto keepdreamingto achievewhatever they aspireto I amso thankful for MVYouth anditspassionfor supportingstudentsacrossthe island I amexcitedtojointheir Advisory Boardthisyear tohelpgivethe samegift toother islandkidsthat wasgiventomealmost tenyearsago.

I wasstill workingfor myself asatrader at theendof last year whenI decidedtomovedowntoMiami withoneof my best friendsfromcollege Havingspent yearsinCaliforniaand thenNew York,thisseemedlikethe perfect placefor metogonext I?vehadawonderful year inthecity and, especially after movingaroundsomuchinthepast few years,I think I?ve foundagreat placeto stay put.

SincethespringI?vebeenworkingasanInvestment DataAnalyst for the global wealthand asset management firm,AlTi Global.After spendingthe last twoyearsinthecryptocurrency space,I thought it?dbeagreat decisiontotakeajobintraditional finance Our firmhasalargenumber of clientswithportfoliosinvestedinanarray of privateequity funds My responsibility istoanalyzethedataheldonthecapital flowsintoand out of thesefundsover thelast decadeandcalculatetheperformanceof each of our client?sportfolios I washiredasacontractor andtheoriginal scope of theproject wasset tojust beafew months,but it?sbeengoingvery well andthefirmhascontinuedto expandthescaleof thework they want me tocomplete I?vereally loved my timethereandhaveawonderful groupof coworkers.

Outsideof my work intheoffice,I?vebegunworkingwithoneof my friends fromcollegethat startedhisownreal estateinvestment firm Welive together hereinMiami,soit?sawonderful experiencelearningabout a new industry andworkingonanexcitingentrepreneurial venturewithone of my good friends I?mvery excitedfor theyear ahead!

PAULO PEREIRA

UMASS,AMHERST

I havebeenlivinginNew York Cityfor alittleover twoyearsnow andhave enjoyedevery minuteof it I?mabigfan of thehustlingandbustlingnature of theCity andhow everythingandeveryonearoundit movesina fast-pacedmanner.That beingsaid,it?salwaysgreat tocomehometo the VineyardwhenI get thechancetoandslow theday-to-day pacedown Thispast year hasbeeneventful inthat I waspromotedinJuly from Analyst toAssociateat MorganStanley and joinedtheGlobal Industrials Group(GIG) WithinGIG,I?vehadtheopportunityto work ondealsand projectsrelatedtomergersandacquisitions(M&A),initial publicofferings (IPOs),and debt financing Sincethe?Industrials?industry isbroadinand of itself,therearemany sub-industriestheinstitutional clientswecover operatein.For example,I?veworkedondealsand projectsfor clientsthat operateintheagriculture,aerospace& defense,buildingproducts, specialty vehicles/ EVs,and salt industriestonameafew Themost interestingtypesof projectshavebeentheonesinvolvingM&A transactionssincethey areusually very transformativetransactionsfor thecompanieswe?readvisingand,sometimes,theentireindustry dependingonthesizeof thedeal

Overall,bothprofessionally andpersonally,eachday continuesto bringa new learningexperienceandI feel asif I?monly just gettingstarted,which isthemost excitingpart I?mextremely thankful toMVYouthand itsdonors for thesupport over theyearsasI?vegrownand reflect eachday onhow noneof thiswould?vebeenpossiblewithout thehelpandgenerosity Thank you,MVYouth!

JACKSON PIZZANO

UMASS,STOCKBRIDGE

Thisfall andwinter hasbeenvery different fromwhat thistimeusually meansfor me Thistimeusedto meanthebeginningof another school year andanother steptofinishingtheschool chapter of my life But thisfall has beencompletely different Insteadof packingupandretreatingback to school for thecoldmonthsI havedecidedto stay andwork most of this winter inhopestosavesomemoney andpreparetotakeatripor move somewhereelseinthenear future Thoughwatchingall my friendshead back toschool wassad,it isniceto slow downand get intomoreof a routine I havebeenworkingat Tabor Treeontheislandand enjoyingit very much.I get to put my degreetowork everyday and continuetohone my skillsasanarborist Everyday invitesnew challengesandexcitement whichmakesit excitingtogotowork everyday Theislandcan get very quiet intheoff seasonsofindingthingstodohasbeenvery helpful in makingthetimepass I play hockey at least twiceaweek whichisvery fun andthemen'sleaguesontheislandarecompetitiveandsomeof my favoritepartsof theweek.I havealsobeenplayingdiscgolf whichisanew hobby I havefoundandamvery intriguedwithit Thecourseontheisland isalsovery niceand I enjoy walkingthroughtheforest andobservingall thetreesand habitat aroundme

I wouldliketothank MVYouthfor makingall thispossible I wouldn't have beenabletomakethismuchprogressineducationand my career without themand I ameternally grateful for what they havedonefor meand all the other scholarshiprecipientsthroughout theyears.

UNIVERSITY MEGHAN SAWYER

COLGATE

EMMA SEARLE

BOSTON COLLEGE

It'shardtobelieveanother year hascomeandgonealready! I?vebeen livinginBostonsincemovinghereinAugust of 2022 I?vecontinued to work at Edelstein& Company,whichisaCPA firminBoston?sFinancial District.Morespecifically,I work inthehealthcaredepartment.We provideaccounting,consulting,and taxservicesfor our clients,whichare mainly inthehealthcareindustry I loveworkingdowntownbecauseit'sin closeproximity toall thefunthingsthecity hastooffer Therearelotsof opportunitiesfor thingstodoafter work likeconcerts,comedy shows,and sportingevents.Oneof my favoritesthoughistojust grabdrinkswith coworkers.It'sonly beenalittleover ayear sinceI beganinthisposition, but I havealready progressedinmy career InJuneI waspromotedto senior associate! Withthisnew roleI?vebeengivenmoreresponsibilities and moreopportunitiesfor leadership I?mthe?development coach?of threeassociatesnow and theseassociatesreport directly to me I train them,helpthemwiththeir projectsasneeded,and assist intheir professional growth

My jobisvery dependent ontheseasons.Weareextremely busy during tax seasonworkinglonghours Wemakeupfor it inthesummer though, whenit'snot so busy Our work hoursaredecreased,andthefirmshuts downfor thewholeweek of thefourthof July I waslucky enoughtospend that week ontheVineyardwithfriendsand family I likelivingcloseto homebecauseit'svery easy to comeback andvisit.Thecommunity onthe Vineyardisvery special.I wouldliketo thank MVYouthfor all their support ingettingmeto whereI amnow I can? t wait toseewhat comesnext for me

Thispast year hasbeenfilledwithmany excitingchanges My senior year at BostonCollegewasabittersweet one,asI lookedforward tonew endeavorswhilepreparingtoleaveaplaceI lovedso dearly InMay,I graduated cumlaudefromBCwithadegreeinPhilosophy (Perspectives Concentration)andCommunication.After graduating,I wasfortunate enough tospendonelast summer at homeontheVineyard

Thisfall ledmetoNew York City,whereI havebeenlivingand workingasa Capital MarketsParalegal at aWall Street law firm,focusingprimarily on commercial mortgage-backed securities I?vebeenthoroughly enjoyingmy work andamcontinuously excitedby all thereistolearn I?ll beginstudying for theLSATthisJanuary andwill beapplyingtolaw schoolsinthefall, withthehopeof enrollinginthefall of 2025.I look to thefutureof my educationand career withaimmensesenseof gratitudefor the opportunitiesI havebeenafforded thusfar

I amendlessly thankful for MVYouth?sgenerosity and support for both myself and theIslandcommunity at large Oneof thegreatest lessonsI will carry withmefrommy yearsat BCistheimmeasurablepower of education MVYouth?sdedicationtoIsland students?accesstoeducationis secondtonone,and I will beforever grateful for all of your efforts Thank you.

MEGHAN SONIA

ANNA MARIA COLLEGE

KAE VECCHIA-ZEITZ

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Thispast year hasbeenincredibly eventful and surreal I accomplished thingsthat I havebeendreamingof doingfor years Over thispast year,I worked hardinmy senior year at AnnaMariaCollege Duringthisyear,I got tocontinueplayingmy twofavoritesports- fieldhockey and ice hockey,aswell asexcellinginmy nursingclass Dueto thehardwork that I put inover my four yearsat thisschool,I wasgiventhehonor of speaking at my collegegraduation Duringthat speechI talkedabout my ?Ohana?, theHawaiianwordfor family I talked about how growingupontheisland and my timeincollegehelpedmecreateagroupof peoplethat I consider my family Duetothesupport of thislargefamily andhardwork,I wasable to get towhereI amtoday After graduatingcollegewithmy bachelors degreeinnursing,I went ontopassmy nursingboardsexaminJuly I was officially aregisterednurse Insteadof goingright intotheworkforceafter that,I decidedtogoback toschool for asemester.Duringthissemester,I worked toget aminor inpsychology I wasfortunateenoughtobeableto competeinmy last seasonof field hockey andbecomeapart of the coachingstaff for our college'sicehockey team After finally sayingmy final goodbyeto college,I transitionedintotheworkforce I accepted ajob at theBrighamandWomen'shospital inBostononaNeurostepdown floor I amincredibly excitedand thankful for theopportunitiesMVYouth hasgivenme It isbecauseof their support that I get tobewhereI am today

Sincethelast update,I havegraduatedfromtheUniversityof Chicago CrownFamily School of Social Work,Policy & PracticeinwhichI earneda Master?sdegreeinSocial Work I amexcitedto shareI amnow employed at Resilience,arape-crisiscenter inChicago,whereI work full-timeasa preventioneducator Asapreventioneducator I teachsexual violence preventioneducationtoK-12 ChicagoPublicSchool students,aswell as facilitatesexual violencepreventiontrainingsfor medical advocacy rape crisisvolunteers,and professionalsworkingthroughout theChicagoland area.I beganworkinginrape-crisisresponseand preventionasa17 year-old Martha?sVineyardRegional HighSchool student whenI choseto volunteer at CONNECTToEndViolence It hasbeenathoughtful, challengingroadtheselast eight years,and I continuetolearnandgrow bothprofessionally and interpersonally throughdoingthiswork Thank youtoMVYouthfor supportingmy accesstoeducationinbothNew York City and Chicagotoget metothisplaceinmy career.

GALYA WALT

TUFTSUNIVERSITY

Over thepast year,I havehadafulfillingyear of coursesinmy Master of PublicHealthprogramandfeel very bittersweet about approaching graduationinMay.Inparticular,I haveenjoyedcoursesontheoriesof diseasedistribution,reproductivehealthandjusticeand qualitative researchmethods All of thesecourseshavecompletely changed my approachtomy research,and I look forward tocontinuingtolearnand grow inmy final semester Inadditiontocourses,I havebeenincredibly luckyto beworkingwiththePeRInatal SubstanceUseResearchand Advocacy at MassGeneral (PRISM)researchgroupwhichI haveabsolutely loved I ampassionateabout pursuingaresearchcareer post-graduation aimedat increasingsupportsinsteadof surveillancefor familiesimpacted by substanceuse Our researchexploreshow residential treatment programsandclinicscanincreasefamily-tailored supportssuchas overnight nanny careor improvingclinical toolstoreducereportstochild protectiveservicesand buildonfamilial strengths I amsograteful tohave amentor and researchteamwhoinspireand motivatemetojointhisfield I amexploringpathsto continuethisafter graduationpotentially througha PhD programor throughadditional work experiences Outsideof school andwork,I amgrateful for awonderful community and roommatesin Somerville.I try toget upto theWhiteMountainsand hikewithfriendsas muchasI can,andI loveseeingthelandscapesof all four seasonsthere I want tothank MVYouth fromthebottomof my heart for your support My collegeexperiencegavemebothsustainingfriendshipsandacademic foundationsthat havebrought metothiswork that I love!

LIAM WEILAND

BERKLEECOLLEGEOF MUSIC

2023 wasatransformativeand productiveyear for me I amstill livingin LosAngelesfull-timeand workingat LarrabeeStudiosinNorthHollywood I amafull-timeassistant engineer at Larrabeeandhavehadthe opportunityto begintakingonsessionsastheleadrecordingengineer.It is certainlytruethat noday feelslikework whenyou?redoingsomethingyou love I now work regularly withmany artiststhat I wasonly afan of just a few yearsago Thissummer I wasrequestedtowork withanartist during their 3 monthlockout inoneof our studioswhilethey wereworkingon their upcomingalbum Sadly it didcausemetocancel my usual summer triphomeaswell asmissthisyear'sMVYouthparty,but it wasan incredibleexperienceandeasily thehighlight of my year Thisyear wasmy first full year inLosAngeleswithout visitinghome,and as amazingasit wasI amhopingtonot havetogoanother full year without visitingMV TheVineyardreally isauniqueplaceandI wasmissingit by thetimeI madethetriphomethispast Christmas It?stheperfect placeto relaxand reset fromthehecticlifestyleI?vebecomeaccustomedtoinLA AsI?mwritingthisupdateintheemployeeloungeof LarrabeeI am incredibly excitedfor what 2024 isgoingtobringand hopetohavethe opportunityto giveyouall amuchmorevividupdateof my lifeat the MVYouthparty thissummer I amintheprocessof workingonmany amazingprojectsandhopetobeabletosharethemwithyouthistimenext year asthey get finishedand releasedby theartists

GRATITUDE

EXPANSION GRANTS

anOVERVIEW

Inour first nineyears,MVYouthhasmade23 ExpansionGrantsto19 local youth-serving organizations,including emergency operational grantsprovidedduringthepandemic Thebar graphidentifiesthenumber of awardsmadein variousamounts Thepiechart identifiesthevariouscategoriesof youthwork wehaveinvestedin Thelist tothe right identifiesthenotableimpactswehavemadewithour investments

2015-2023 Awards $8,320,986

32%-

1%- Career Counseling

26%- Athletics& Recreation

21%Physical & Mental Health and Disability Services

Early Childhood Education & Care - $2,622,250

Created81 new childcarespacesat four licensedprogramsandsuppliedfundingtoopentennew licensed home-basedchildcareprograms.

- MVCS-EarlyChildhood Programs,FelixNeck,PlumHillSchool,VineyardMontessoriSchool,MVCS-FamilyChildcare CapitalNeedsProject

Athletics& Recreation - $2,177,382

Built a baseball field.Renovatedanicearena, skatepark andsailingschooner.Replacedanindoor tennisbubble andaddedtemperaturecontrol.Upgradinga fleet of sailingvessels.

- MVLittleLeague,MVSkateParkAssociation,MVArena,VineyardFamilyTennis,FUEL,SailMV

Physical & Mental Health and Disability Services- $1,770,780

Built a center for coordinatingfamilymental healthservices.Renovatedthemaincabinat a campfor disabled youthandadults Currentlybuildinga dental center andheadquartersfor youthwithautism

- MVCS-IslandWideYouthCollaborative,CampJabberwocky,IslandAutismGroup,IslandHealthCare

Emergency Covid Support - $812,150

Providedemergencyoperational support for sevenIslandnon-profit organizationsduringthepandemic.

- MVCS,YMCA,B&GC,IGI, IslandFoodPantry,MVEarlyChildcareProvidersEmergencyFund,Covid-19 School SurveillanceTestingProgram

After-School & Summer Child Care - $547,014

Expandedafter-school andsummer childcarespacesat threeIslandnon-profits.

- Boys&GirlsClub,FelixNeck,YMCA

History, Arts & Music - $298,438

Built a youthspacedevotedtoteachingislandhistory Expandedaninstrument lendingprogramwith20 violins andviolas.

- MVMuseum,MVChamberMusicSociety

Career Counseling - $93,342

Enhancedcareer counselingfor highschool studentsandyoungadults.

- ACEMV

2023 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORTS

SAIL MARTHA'SVINEYARD (SAIL MV)

Marine Education Expansion Award: $300,000

Mission: Sail Martha?sVineyard isdedicated to protecting and perpetuating our island?smaritime heritage and culture We provide maritime skillsand training to those of the community who could not otherwise accessthem.

In2023,over 380 childrentook tothewatersof theLagooninSail MV?ssummer programs Sail Martha?sVineyardhasalwaystakenextraordinary prideinbeingthe primary maritimeeducationorganizationontheisland,andtheheart of our mission isthesummer sailingcamp Since2018,Sail MV hasprovidedover $620,000 worth of scholarshipstoisland families,allowingchildrentolearnhow tobesafewhile sailingandwindsurfingonthewatersof theVineyard

Thisyear wasthefirst of our threeyearsof support fromMVYouth.Inmid-Junewe welcomed thearrival of our new fleet of 12 Hartley 10 sailingdinghies Thesecraft revolutionized theway weget our beginner studentsontothewater.Longgoneare thebathtubsof old Hartley 10sarecustomdesignedfor young,first-timestudentsto havethebest possibleplatformfor their first sailingexperience Theinitial trepidationof helmingadinghy for thefirst timeisrapidly replaced withsmilesand criesof joy asskillsarelearnedand goalsareachieved

- 384 Childrentook part intheSail MV summer sailingprogram

- $166,000 of scholarshipswereprovidedtoislandfamiliesallowingtheir childrento taketothewater for free.

- SailMobility providedover 50 hoursof sessionsto IslandAutismand Camp Jabberwocky

- TheSail MV summer internshipprovided3 islandstudentswithon-the-job experience.

MARTHA'SVINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES

Family Child Care Capital Needs Project Award: $490,000

Mission: To enhance the livesof those it serves by meeting the comprehensive needs of individuals, families, and the community through a partnership of programsthat provide accessible education, health and human servicesof the highest quality

Withthesupport of MVYouth,welaunched theFamily Child CareCapital Needs Project in2023 TheProject connectsprospectiveFamily Child CareProviders withthefundsneededtocompletetherenovationsrequiredtohonor Massachusettslicensingrequirements.Wearecurrently workingwith2 strong applicants Whenlicensed,their programswill create12 new childcareslotsinour community Our goal istolicense9 additional programsina5-year period, creating54 new slots!

MVYouthhasalsogenerously supportedtheFamily Child CareNetwork?sLending Library,supplyingenrichingcurriculummaterialstothe11 programsinthe Network.Thematerialsenhancetheeducational experienceof the60 plus childrenservedby theNetwork TheLibrary hasalsostrengthened the relationshipsbetweenProviders,creatingnew opportunitiesfor connectionand collaboration!

Wehavecontinued tobuildacomprehensivesystemof supportsfor theProviders intheNetwork,utilizingcommunity partnershipsto enhanceour efforts In2023 wereceivedgrant fundingthroughtheUnitedWay of theCapeand Islandsto offer meaningful professional development workshopsthroughout theyear.We haveengaged local professionalstosharetheir knowledgeand expertise, strengtheningtheprogramswithinour Network Wealsopartneredwiththelocal Boardsof HealthandtheIslandWideYouthCollaborativetooffer CPRand First AidinBrazilianPortuguese,supportingexistingand prospectiveProvidersinour community

Wecontinuedto engageinoutreacheffortstoattract new Providersto thefield. Our Family ChildCareNetwork Coordinator served asamentor for ACEMV?s Early ChildhoodEducationCohort,supportingstudentsenrolledincoursework throughCapeCod CommunityCollege Oneof theparticipantsinthisfall?sCohort hasbeguntheprocessof applyingtobealicensedFamily Child CareProvider!

2022 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORTS

ISLAND HEALTH CARE

Dental Clinic

Award: $500,000

Mission: To provide the people of Martha?sVineyard with access to equitable, high-quality, affordable health care; resourcesand support for social and economic needs; and public health leadership

IslandHealthCare(IHC)isanessential part of theMartha?sVineyardcommunity, offeringacomprehensiverangeof servicesincludingfamily healthcare,mental and behavioral healthservices,substanceusedisorder counseling,chronicdisease management,and community-basedpublichealthinitiativestargetingsocial determinantsof health InJune2024,IHCwill launchitsnew Dental Center,made possibleby fundingfromMVYouth,alongwithfederal andstategrants,private donationsand support fromMartha?sVineyardBank Thecenter will cater to children,youngadults,adultsandseniors,providingawidearray of dental services. IHChascompletedall necessary property acquisitions,met federal environmental andhistoricpreservationrequirements,andengaged anarchitectural firmfor the Dental Center'sdesign Constructionplansandapplicationshavebeensubmittedto theMA Department of PublicHealth,andconstructioncontractshavebeen awarded Constructionisset tobeginuponstateapproval

Dr AldinoMaggiulli,theinaugural dental director at Island HealthCare,hasalready relocatedtotheislandandisactivelycoordinatingand managingall Dental Center operations.HeiscollaboratingwiththeMassachusettsDepartment of Public Health,BostonUniversity'sHenry M GoldmanSchool of Dental Medicine, contractors,dental suppliers,thelocal dental community,anddental hygiene schoolstostaff,equip,andpreparetheclinic

PROJECT REPORTS 2021 EXPANSION GRANT

ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Career Pathways Advancement Award: $93,342

Mission: Our mission isto provide adult Vineyard residentswith accessto learning experiencesand community support, enabling them to thrive through education, skill building, and professional development.

It hasbeenayear of growthat ACEMV! Under new leadershiptheorganizationhas transitionedtoanew (old!)name,and continuestowork towardsincreasedaccess for Islanderstohigher education,workforcetrainingand professional development opportunities.

A partnershipwithMVYouth hasallowedACEMV tobegintoconsider waystobuild bridgesbetweenIslandhighschoolsand ongoingcareer navigationsupport.It isthe goal of our organizationtobeableto servepost-secondary studentswhohaveopted for alternativepathwaysto 4-year collegeexperiences,withworkforcetraining, community collegecoursework andother professional development opportunities In2023 wecontinued toformalizepartnershipswithbothIslandhighschools,and look forward tocoordinatingmoreprogramsandresourcesin2024

ACEMV?scurrent Career ExplorationprogramsincludeEarly ChildhoodEducation, offeredinbothEnglish andBrazilianPortuguese;LanguageInterpretingand Translation;Small BusinessandEntrepreneurial Management,and AlliedHealth Care,inadditiontoworkforcetrainingprogramsinElectrical Coding,CSLprep training,and our School for OffseasonSurvival,offeringclassesand workshopsin financial literacy,languageand small businesssupport.

Welook forward todevelopingmoreopportunitiesfor career explorationand pathwayssupport for youngadultsin2024,and aregrateful to MVYouthfor continuedpartnershipand sharedcommitment toservingIslandlearnersof all ages

MARTHA'SVINEYARD OCEAN ACADEMY (MVOA)

Shenandoah, Voyage into the Future Award: $100,000

Mission: Martha's Vineyard Ocean Academy helpsyouth develop lifelong purpose, happiness, and resilience through guided voyagesof self-discovery

Wehad astupendoussecondseasonof programmingaboardSHENANDOAH Since Martha'sVineyard'stall shipShenandoahwaspasseddowntoMartha'sVineyard OceanAcademy(formerly FUEL)in2021,wehavemadeexcitingupdatestothe shipand itsprograms

- Wehavehosted over 900 participantsonweek-longvoyagesof self-discovery aboardShenandoah

- Weintroducedanequity-basedpayment systemwithsliding-scaletuition soour priceswould not beabarrier tofamilies

- WecreatedaninnovativecurriculumbasedonPositiveYouth Development toaddressthemental healthepidemicimpactingour children.

- WeinitiatedanongoingstudyinpartnershipwiththeUniversityof New Hampshiremeasuringstudent outcomesinour program

- Welaunched alocal foodinitiativetosourceingredientsfromour island and teachour kidsthebenefitsof eatinglocally

- Wedevelopedstaff trainingthat preparesour crew for their rolesas mentorsand guidesinmental healthpromotioninterventions

Wearegrateful toMVYouthand our community of generous,passionateIslanders whohelped makethispossible

ISLAND AUTISM GROUP

Island Autism Center Award: $250,000

Mission: To strive for the lifelong independence, confidence, and happinessof autistic individualsand their familieson Martha?s Vineyard, through housing, life skills, enrichment, job training, and therapies.

IslandAutismhashadanincredibly busy 2023.Weareestimatingopeningour day programmingsidewiththecompletionof thefarm,barnand HubHouseinMarchof 2024 After asuccessful fundraisingcampaignin2023 whereweraised$2M in pledges,weareconfident that withcontinuedsupport wewill beabletopay off our 501(c)(3)bond loanfor PhaseOneand moveontoPhaseTwo,aresidential portion of our programmingfor adultswithautismandautism-relateddisorders.

Our after school andsummer programshaveexpandedat bothends Wearepiloting our preschoolersandcaregiver yogaand wehavealsobuilt onour post 22 year old program It isnow year-roundand hasdedicatedstaff Inthemornings,wedo job-related activitiesandafter lunchheadout intothecommunity for recreational fun

Welook forwardtoaspringopenhouse,yogaontheporchof theHub House,and expandingour farmingendeavorstoincludeasecondseasonat theFarmersmarket and muchmore.

Thank you,MVYouth for puttingwindinour sailsandhelpinguscreateour home base! Welook forwardtowelcomingthecommunity toshareinthejoy of our membersaswework,play and thriveinour new space

2020 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

PLUM HILL SCHOOL

Forever Home

Award: $350,000

Mission: To meet and support children?sunfolding capacitiesand awakening interests. Through a nature and play-based curriculum, we support the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual growth of each child We are committed to the idealsand educational philosophy set forth by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education

Thelast year at PlumHill Preschool hasbeenfull of growthandcontinued capacity building,thankstothegeneroussupport receivedfroma2020 MVYouthExpansion Grant After decadesof seasonal renting,support fromMVYouth allowedPlumHill topurchaseayear-roundhome.Owningour ownfacilityhasgivenusopportunities toexpand programming,broadenour reachintotheIslandcommunity and nearly doubleour capacity for servingyear-roundIslandfamilieswithquality early childhood educationand care

Now initssecondyear,our nursery programisfull andthriving,offeringfamiliesof younger toddlersaged16 months- 2 9 yearsanaffordableand enriching introductiontoWaldorf-inspired early education. Bothour nursery andpreschool classroomscontinuetooperateat capacity,withlongwaitlists Inthecomingyears, it isour goal tobegintoinvestigateour ability toexpand evenfurther,offeringa secondpreschool classroom,sothat wecanbetter servethegrowingnumber of Islandfamiliesinneed of quality preschool programming

Withthefinancial flexibility affordedusby theexpansiongrant,wehavebeenable toinvest meaningfully intoour tuitionsupport fund,makingour programs affordableand accessibletoall Islanders,regardlessof income.

Andwiththeability tobeinour spaceyear-round,wehavebeenthrilledto introduceathrivingsummer program,PlumSummer.Servingchildrenaged3-11 PlumSummer isaWaldorf-inspiredday camp,belovedby year-roundand visiting summer familiesalike Welook forwardtocontinued growthwithinour school community and arefilledwithgratitudefor thedoorsopened tousby thesupport and confidencewe'vereceivedfromMVYouth.

VINEYARD MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Mission: Vineyard Montessori School offerschildren an equitable and joyful environment to foster a lifetime love of learning, while partnering with familiesand collaborating with the community.

TheVineyardMontessori School (VMS)Toddler classroomshavebeenfull sincethe doorsopened intheFall of 2021 and maintainawaitlist That sameyear,VMSbecame theIsland?slargest provider of early childhood careand education

ThetwoToddler classroomsoffer 18 childrenbetweentheagesof 15 monthsand 3 yearsold anincredibly richexperienceand workingfamiliesasafeand wonderful placement for their child.Our dataindicatesthat thisadditionhasmadeadifference and isincredibly successful Thesuccesscan bemeasuredinnot only itsability tostay full with18 childrendaily,but inadditionwithits"feeding" thepreschool classrooms ThisstreamhaspromptedVMStoacquireanincreased licensingcapacity of 78 early childhood careandeducationslots ThishasmadeadifferenceIsland-wide,andweare thankful for therolethat MVYouthplayed insupportingthisexpansion.

Wearenow lookingtothefuture!

VMSisactivelypursuinggrantsspecifically designatedfor VMSEquitableAccess, providingtuitionassistancetoworkingfamilies.Childcareissuesareworkforceissues. Whenpeopledon? t haveaccesstoaffordablechildcare,they can? t gotowork,and whenthey can? t goto work,our local economiessuffer It?sthat simple,andthat?swhy VMSismakingchildcareaccessible

VMShasalsolaunchedtheCampaignfor EquitableAccesstoEducation:Building Tomorrow Now Thiscampaignwill increasetoddler andpreschool capacity Island-wide;buildacohesive,vibrant campuswithhealthy facilities;and generatestaff housing.VMSknowsthereisnot enoughearly education& careavailableonMartha?s Vineyard,and ispositionedto answer thecall By 2025,VMSwill havecreated30 new spots,for atotal of 108 spaces? closingtheVineyardgapby 65%

Toddler & Preschool Community Expansion Project Award: $450,000

2019 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

CAMP JABBERWOCKY

Main Cabin Renovation and Expansion Award: $400,000

Mission: To provide a residential vacation camp for people with disabilitieswhile providing respite for camper's caregivers We provide recreation and enrich the livesof our campersby creating a supportive environment that promotes the fulfillment of human potential and fostersindependence and self-determination; we strive to be a community that isan example of inclusivity, love, and mutuality.

TheSummer of 2023 usheredinCampJabberwocky's70thseasonof providinga magical summer campexperienceto campers! It wasasummer of adventuresand camptraditions,of new friends,oldfriends,tryingnew things,andsunny daysspent at thebeach

Throughout thesummer,over 150 campersof all agesexperiencedthejoysof the Islandinasupportiveenvironment that promotesmutual respect and fosters independenceandself-determination Over 160 volunteershelped tomakeall of this possible,includingmedical teams,cooks,direct carevolunteers,sessiondirectors, community volunteersand more! Our campersandvolunteersreflect diverselived experiencesmakingeachcampsessionatruly inclusiveand uniquejourney for all involved

Beyondour incredibleteamof volunteers,wearegrateful for thecollaborationwith somany other nonprofitsacrosstheIslandasour programmingpartners,helpingus spreadthemissionand impact of CampJabberwocky even farther.

Aswelook tonext year,and wefinishfoam-insulatingour sleepaway cabins,weplan toexploreofferingmoreovernight usageof thecamptoIsland nonprofitswith sharedvaluesasaway tocontinueincreasingtheimpact of our mission.

YMCA OF MV

Youth Space Repurpose Project Award: $200,000

Covid-19 Emergency Grant Award: $200,000

Mission: To improve the quality of life for children, individuals, and familieson the Island by helping our community members realize their fullest potential through the development of body, mind and spirit.

In2023 theYhascontinued togrow and adapt totheneedsof our Island Community,increasingour youthprogramcapacitiesand collaboratingwithan expandingnumber of organizations

Thissummer inour MVYouthclassroomwestarted anew kindergarten preparednessinitiative Withthisdesignated classroomfor our youngest campers, 20 camperseachweek,for 8 weeks,focused onskillsthat wouldhelpthemasthey enter school Thecurriculumwascreatedwithrecommendationsfromteachersthat werenoticingagapinskills,especially for incomingstudents Campersparticipated inactivitiestostrengthen finemotor skills,increaseletter recognition,andsound knowledge,andgrow overall classroomreadiness.

Withtheadditionof amini library intheMVYouth classroomthissummer,we implementeda?Buddy Read?programwhereolder campersread toyounger campers Inthisclassroomwealsoranour Curiosity Scienceprogram,whereevery camper participated weeklyinafunscienceexperiment honinghypothesizing, observation,andreportingskills

For theschool year,wecontinued our mini-libraryintheclassroomfor daily reading circleand ?Buddy Read?andexchangebooksmonthly incollaborationwiththeOak BluffsLibrary. Thisclassroomisdesignated for Kindergartenersto helpthem acclimatizetotheYAfter School Program It alsoservesasour locationfor our collaborationwithIslandGrownInitiative,wherethey provideYfamilieswith healthy premademeals

Wearegrateful for thesupport fromMVYouthand our Island Community!

VINEYARD FAMILY TENNIS

Bubble Replacement Award: $250,000

HVAC System

Award: $75,000

Mission: To provide the Island community with the opportunity to learn and enjoy the game of tennisthrough a combination of year-round progressive instruction, training, and match play programs VFT cultivatesproficiency in a life-sport as well as instillsthe qualities of sportsmanship, commitment, perseverance and character in Island children and adultsalike

VineyardFamily Tenniswasfortunateenoughtohavebeenawardedtwogrants fromMVYouth Thefirst awardallowedustopurchaseabrand-new air-supported tennisbubble Later,VFTwasawardedasecondgrant;thistimefor thepurchase andinstallationof aclimatecontrol systemthat allowsfor theuseof thebubble year-roundaswell asprovidesfor healthy indoor air quality.

Thispast year,VineyardFamily Tenniscontinued towelcomemoreVineyard familiesthroughour junior development program,summer campsand adult tennis activities Our afterschool programrantonear capacity asour coachestrained childrenages3-18 eachafternoonand onSaturday mornings Summer 2023 was our busiest onrecordasVFThostedmorning,afternoon andfull-day campersfor a total of 10 weeks.Adult tennisloversalsoenjoyedthefacility beforeandafter camp andontheweekendsthroughcourt usageand privateandgroupinstruction Thefutureisvery excitingat VFTasweplantoexpandour suiteof programming. Thispast fall,webeganacollaborationwiththeUSTA?sNational Junior Tennisand LearningNetwork AsaprospectiveNJTLchapter,weplantoenhanceour reachto local youththroughacombinationof low-cost tennisandabrand-new afterschool educationprogram.

Our adaptivetennisinitiativeisanother programthat weplanto further cultivate thisyear.Asanofficial ACEingAutismpartner,weoffer on-court opportunitiesto helpchildrenwithautismgrow,developand benefit fromsocial connectionsand fitnessthroughaffordabletennisprogramming Wehopetointroducesimilar adaptivetennisopportunitiesinthecomingyear

MARTHA'SVINEYARD BOYS & GIRLSCLUB

Critical Capital Needs Award: $100,000

Cleaner, Greener, Safer Club Campaign Award: $229,514

Covid-19 Emergency Grant Award: $100,000

Mission: To help young people, especially those who need usmost, build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizensand leaders

Martha'sVineyardBoys& GirlsClub,withthebackingof MVYouth,hasbeenapillar of support for thelocal community,overcomingchallengesand evolvingtomeet its members' needs DuringtheCOVID-19 pandemic,theClubprovidedasafehaven for itsmembers,offeringroutineamidst theturmoil

Post-pandemic,theClubisaddressingeconomicinstability and thesocial-emotional healthof members,acknowledgingthemental toll of thepandemiconyoungpeople Effortsto bridgelearninggapscausedby disruptededucationarealsounderway.

Tomitigatefoodinsecurity worsenedby thepandemic,theClubbroadeneditsfood security program,includingtheBlueDoor Pantry Thisinitiativeprovidesfood, hygieneproducts,and essential clothingtofamilies,recognizingtheir basicneeds

Understandingtheimportanceof mental health,theClubhashiredayouthmental healthcounselor tosupport andguidemembersandfamilies Moreover,theClubis focusingonenhancingacademicsuccessinmathandscience,implementing remediationeffortsto support itsmembers

TheClub'sout-of-school timelearningprogramshavebeenvital for theeducational progressof islandyouth,providingadditional learningopportunities Thisensures theyouthof Martha'sVineyardcanreachtheir full academicpotential.

2018 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD MUSEUM

Educational Infrasctructure Award: $219,138

Mission: To inspire all people to discover, explore, and strengthen their connections to thisIsland and its diverse heritage.

Over thepast year,theMuseum?sEducational Programminghascontinuedto swell withopportunitiesfor Islandersof all ages Theclassroomisthehubof all thisactivity andwascontinually transformed tohouseanexcitingarray of eventsandprograms. Whether it wasastage,alaboratory,aforumfor debate,anart studioor aplaceof quiet escape,our classroomhasbeenawelcomingvenuetoall whosteppedthrough thedoor

Buildingonour relationshipswithIslandschool teachers,wehaveseensignificant growthinthenumber of classesengagingwithour educational experiences.86%of K-4 studentsexperiencedaMuseumfieldtrip,inwhichinteractiveactivitiesinthe classroomareanessential part

Beyondtheelementary years,wehavehostedbothmiddleandhighschool classeson researchvisitsto enrichtheir coursesof study APAfricanAmericanHistory students investigatedtheexhibit,Unfreedom,whiletheAmericanSignLanguageI & II classes cameto seeTheyWereHeard,about theChilmark Deaf Community Theclassroom wasaperfect spacetohost livelydiscussionsfollowingeachoneof theseexhibit tours

Our childandfamily-centeredprogrammingiscontinuingtoutilizetheclassroomin amultitudeof ways It providesamonthly meetingplacefor our CraftsofYesteryear 4-H club for childrenages8-14 Over weekendsor school vacationsit isaversatile spacefor family-friendly eventsincludingHeathHenDay,Shark Week,Discovery Daysclasses,Founder?sDay andNancy LuceDay.Our classroomallowsusto continueinvitingour vibrant community intoour Museumwheretheyfind meaningful waystoengagewithIslandhistory

MARTHA'SVINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES

Early Childhood Programs Facility Award: $1,000,000

Mission: To enhance the livesof those it serves by meeting the comprehensive needsof individuals, families, and the community through a partnership of programsthat provide accessible education, health and human servicesof the highest quality.

Thiswasanexcitingyear inour Early ChildhoodPrograms! InSeptember our Early EducationandCareCenter expandedtoserveinfantsand their families The generosity of MVYouth hasallowedustoincreasethenumber of workingfamilies weserveeachyear In2023 MV Community Servicessupportedfamilieswho work ineducation,healthcare,humanservices,hospitality,retail,agriculture, construction,transportation,shippingand towngovernment Accessto highquality early childhoodprogrammingplaysafoundational roleinour economy andthe healthand well-beingof our community!

InDecember our Early Educationand CareCenter wasre-accreditedthroughthe National Associationfor theEducationof YoungChildren(NAEYC) NAEYC Accreditationisarigorous,multi-stepprocessthat involvesextensive self-reflectionandquality improvement tomeet theprogramstandards.Our programdemonstrated excellenceinareassuchasCurriculum,Teaching,Health, CommunityRelationships,Physical Environment,and Leadershipand Management Theaccreditationisatestament tothededicationof our incredible teamof educators!

Wecontinuedour effortstobuildaworkforceof early childhoodeducatorsinour community.Our ProgramDirector servedasamentor for ACEMV?sEarly ChildhoodEducationCohort,supportingstudentsenrolledincoursework through CapeCodCommunity College Thisfall wepartneredwithACEMV tolaunchanew Cohort for studentsenrolledinearly childhoodcoursework inBrazilianPortuguese throughUrbanCollegeof Boston

Welaunchedour Early HeadStart programin2023,expandingour home-based servicestosupport familieswithchildrenbetween0-3.Thisprogramrecognizes parentsastheir child?sfirst andmost important teacher and capitalizesonthe learningopportunitiesinthehomeandcommunity-basedsettings Our Family Center continued tooffer evidenced-basedparent educationworkshopsand series designedtomeet theuniqueneedsof our community Wepartneredwiththe DukesCounty Houseof Correctiontooffer NurturingFathersandthePeer RecoverySupport Center tooffer NurturingFamiliesinRecovery

2017 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD ARENA

Renovation Project

Award: $1,000,000

Mission: To provide a safe, healthy and self-sustaining recreational facility that fulfillsthe skating needs of all the residentsand visitors of Martha?sVineyard.

2022-23 at theYMCAof Martha?sVineyardIceArenawasarigorous,successful and uniqueseasontonavigate Thefacility continuestobeacentral point for thelocal community providingaspacefor avariety of ice-activitiesfor all ages

MV FigureSkatingClubisastapleprogramthat beginswithfosteringtheyoungest skaters They conduct theLearntoSkateProgramfor children3 5 to12 yearsold, andtheyouthserved continuestogrow andlaysagreat foundationfor skill-building. Many of theinstructorsareyouth membersof theFigureSkatingCluband MVRHS hockey programs TheMVFSCBridgeProgramoffersanopportunityfor skatersto buildskillstoadvancetofreestylefigureskating Additionally,MVFSCprovidesthe FreesetyleProgramfor dedicatedskaterswhotrainhardtocompeteandtest with theUSFigureSkating.BothBridgeandFreestylehavehad growthinparticipantsthis seasonand look forward tohostingtheVineyardCupinfall 2024,whereover 100 skaterscomprisedof local andregional skaterswill convenefor a2-day competition

Thelargest youth-servingprogramrunthroughtheIceArenaisMV Youth Hockey, that offersHouseMites,GirlsOspreys,andmultipletravel teamsat theU8,U10,U12 level andoneteamat U14 Thisyear they introducedaLearntoPlay programfor beginnersto grow theprogramreach.Thisprogramtypically feedsintotheHouse MiteProgramwhichincludesover 50 childrenunder theageof 8 IntheWinter,the HouseMitesplay gamesonFriday Nights,andisamust watchevent Inadditionto theHouseProgram,MVYH alsoboaststwoU8 Travel Teams,so thefuturefor the programisstrong.

Thehighschool teamsat theMVRHScontinued their strongform TheMVRHSGirls qualifiedfor thestatetournament,inaseasonthat included thefirst victoriesover BarnstableHigh& FalmouthHighinMV school?shistory Asfor theBoys,they again qualifiedfor thestatetournament,makingit tothefinal eight

FELIX NECK WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Education & Camp Barn

Award: $350,000

Mission: To protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programsfor adultsand children, and provide endless opportunitiesto experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries. Explore, find inspiration, and take action at massaudubon org

Fern& Feather Preschool continuestoprovideasafe,supportive,natural learning environment that nurtureschildren?sinnatecuriosity,theneedtoexplore,andthe joy of discovery Fern& Feather teacherssupport childrentochallengetheir physical abilities,expressthemselves,build healthy bodies,discover,practice,anddevelopa relationshipwiththenatural world Whilenatureandoutdoor explorationcomprises most of our curriculum,wealsointroducestudentstoearly learningand pre-academicskills.Weareproudof our new teachingteam,asof September 2023, whowork hardtoincorporatemusic,art,science,math,literacy,engineering,and social emotional well-beinginto our daily learningexperiences Fern& Feather studentsarenot only learningtobeenvironmental stewards,but they learningtobe creative,cooperative,kind,collaborative,problemsolvers FernandFeather Day Camppiloteditsfirst year usingaslidingscalefeesystemfor all campregistrations It wasahugesuccess,withanincreaseinthenumber of familiessupportedandfinancial assistanceprovided Tieredtuitionoptions, determinedby DukesCounty householdincomes,wereofferedtofamilies A lower tier optionwasprovidedto local islandfamiliesduetothehighcost of livingonthe island Islandfamilieswerealsoallowedtoenroll their childrenaweek aheadof publicregistration Theslidingscalemodel waswell receivedby all registrantsand deeply appreciatedby thosewhoneededit most.MassAudubonwasableto support campfamiliestothetuneof $45,000 whichexceededthepreviousyear?stotal financial assistanceby$30,000!

2016 EXPANSION GRANT

PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD SKATE PARK ASSOCIATION

Completion & Expansion Project

Award: $252,172

Mission: To build and maintain a public skate park accessible to Island children of all agesand abilities. The park providesa safe, sustainable and dynamic experience for anyone interested in skateboarding MVSPA will continue to introduce programming that encouragesnew participation in the sport and sustained involvement within the Island community

2023 wasagreat year for theMVSPasmorenew skatersand scooter ridersenjoyed thepark throughout all seasons Duringthewarmer months,thepark isameeting placefor hundredsof touristsandsummer skaters. Thepark isalsohometothe summer skatecamp,whichiswell-lovedand hasbeenaneffectivetraininggroundfor youngMV skaters Duringthecoldandshort daysof winter,thepark becomes populatedwithskatersdirectly after school andit providesamuch-neededoutlet for energeticteensandlocal kidswho only haveacoupleof hoursof light toenjoy inthe afternoon. Thisyear,parentsreally took holdof thepark,switchingonthelightsand stayingwell past dinner timetoallow their kidsampletimefor enjoyment Parents couldbefoundalmost every night,bundledupintheir parkaschattingtogether under thelights Thechangesmadetothepark viatheMVYouthgrant,aswell as subsequent improvements,havemadethepark amuch moredynamicandinviting space Skateboardingprovidesadiversepalateof positiveexperiences,including self-disciplineand grit aswell asblissfulnessand purefun

TheMV Skatepark Committeemet regularly thisyear and thefocusof topicswas generally aroundoutreachand fundraising,aswell asmaintenanceandregular clean-up Inthenear term,thecommitteeisplanningtoaddmorelampstothe existinglight polessothat after-dark skatingisevensafer and morerobust. The committeeisalsodiscussingimprovementstotheexistingseatingareas. For thelong term,plansareunderway for addingand upgradingconcreteobstaclesand generally continuingtoimprovethepark itself withdetailsandfeaturesthat will increaseflow and lendaddedinterest to thepark Joinusat theMVSPfundraiser next fall!

MARTHA'SVINEYARD CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY

Access & Inspiration Strings Program

Award: $29,300

Mission: To promote and support classical music learning opportunitiesfor Island youth

TheMartha?sVineyardChamber MusicSociety continueditslongtimesupport of MusicEducationwithitsinstrument loanprogram,lesson scholarshipsand ahigh school scholarshiptoatalented musicperformanceor educationmajor inthepast year MVCMSprovidedthehighschool orchestrawithastringbassrental for the year,allowingatalentedstudent topracticeand performonaquality instrument Most notably our Artist inResidenceProgram,originally fundedby MVYouth,and now inits8th year featured QuinTango,aninternationally lauded ensemblefrom WashingtonDC inMarch2023 Introducinganew genreof musictoour strings players,studentspreparedinadvancewithtangomusic

Thestudent orchestraswerecoachedby ensemblemembers,receivedprivate lessonsthroughout theweek,andtheprofessional musiciansperformedseveral school assemblies.Musicstudentsplayed acapstoneconcert at theMartha?s VineyardPerformingArtsCenter at week?send,followedby aperformanceof QuinTangofor thegeneral public Additionally,MVCMScollaboratedwithTheYard tobringTangoprofessional,AnaliaCenturion,totheVineyardtoteachtango lessonstwoconsecutivenightsand performwiththemusiciansonstage.

Asweenter 2024 weareagainplanningour Artist inResidenceprogramand continuetopursuenew waysof assistingtheMusicEducationprograminthe schools Wecontinueour overall missionof providingtheVineyardcommunity with world-classchamber musicconcertsthroughout theyear and supportingmusic education,particularly inthepublicschools

2015 EXPANSION GRANT PROJECT REPORTS

MARTHA'SVINEYARD LITTLE LEAGUE

Penn Field Award: $177,810

Mission: To provide each player the opportunity to play baseball in a supportive and rewarding environment that emphasizesskills, fun and enjoyment; to create a challenging environment for playerswho aspire to play at a higher level; and to foster character building by encouraging fair and respectful play for children ages 4-19 yearsold

MVLLisproudof its2023 record ThankstoMVYouth,thebeautiful PennFieldwas at thecenter of most of theaction MVLLkickedoff our first ever local,indoor baseball pilot duringFebruary andMarch.Twenty-four childrenandsixvolunteer coachesparticipated andareeager tosignupagain in2024 Beforethespring seasonbegan,theboardcreatedcoachesscreenings,manualsandatraining A needs-basedscholarshipfundand processwascreated.Throughacombinedeffort fromVineyardConservation Society,Nelson Mechanical,CPCfundsandvolunteers, MVLLinstalledwater fillersat VeiraPark and PennField

Toincreasecompetitiveopportunities,wecreatedthreeseparatesummer travel teamsand reinstatedtheall-star gamesat PennFieldfor the8-13yr old divisions Theall-star gameincludedfun/gamesfor all kids,gameannouncersandalive singingof thenational anthem TheLittleLeagueWorldSeriesreturned toPenn FieldinJune2023? wehadagreat community turnout inthestands DuringMVLL play-off gamesat PennField,webrought back thetraditionof honoringall players--fromTball-up--withpins,trophies,speeches,photos,etc Throughthe summer and fall,MVLLpartneredwithGrandSlambaseball tohost campsand pickupgamesat PennField And wefinally now havesignagedirectingfamiliesto PennField!

Thank youtoMVYouthfor supportingachildren'sexperiencethat hasfriendship, fun,fitnessandfreshair at itscore

MARTHA'SVINEYARD COMMUNITY SERVICES

Island Wide Youth Collaborative Building Award: $620,780

Covid-19 Emergency Grant Award: $200,000

Mission: To enhance the livesof those it serves by meeting the comprehensive needs of individuals, families, and the community through a partnership of programsthat providesaccessible education, health and human servicesof the highest quality

TheIslandWideYouth Collaborative(IWYC),MV Family ResourceCenter, providesservicesfor families,youngpeopleand community members Thegoal of a Family ResourceCenter istosupport familiestostrengthentheir bonds,connect to othersandengageintheir community

TheIWYCcontinued itswork inthecommunity during2023 deliveringservicesto 374 families,atotal of 3,897 community membersthroughout theyear Services includedreferringfamiliestosocial supportsbothonand off theislandaswell providingcasemanagement andprogramming

Programmingandcasemanagement tofamilieswerethemain focusof theIWYCin 2023 ProgramssuchasEat theRainbow ?A Healthy Eatingand Cooking Workshopfor teens,Social SkillsGroupat Misty Meadows,MV Backpack Drive, Soccer Clinic,CPRClasses,LifeSkillsWorkshops,TherapeuticServicesand Programmingfor theLGBTQ+community,Financial Literacy,CommunityBaby Shower andmore

CAPTAINS FORE KIDS

GOLF TOURNAM ENT