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Carver student Maria Fe Luque is going to Harvard in the fall with a full scholarship!

Norwalk High School senior Maria Fe Luque (top left in the Zoom meeting with Secretary Cardona) is going to Harvard University in the fall with a full-ride scholarship! She will be a first-generation college student.

Here is a Facebook video capturing the moment Maria first looked upon her online acceptance notification from Harvard yesterday morning.

Here is the video clip of Maria’s interview yesterday on News12 in which Maria speaks about her passion for American history.

"This is our country. That's amazing that people from so long ago established a foundation for today, and what everything's based on today," she said. Luque is taking that passion to Harvard on a full scholarship this fall. She says the language barrier never stopped her parents from being her biggest cheerleaders.

"They pushed me so much, in Spanish...all the way," said Luque.

Many of our students dream of going to Ivy League schools. Even if a student is special enough to be accepted, the steep costs that come with attending elite schools can end the dream right there. A full-ride scholarship makes this dream come true.

Of course, Maria has been special since she arrived in Norwalk from Peru in the first grade. And just not in academics. Maria is also an athlete, among other sports she has been on the Bears volleyball team for all four of her high school years.

On Friday, January 28 at 10 am, US Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona, met virtually with a panel of middle and high school students from Norwalk Public Schools, including Maria.

Recently Maria represented Norwalk High School in a panel of students speaking with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. All Norwalk Public Schools students and staff tuned into the live stream of the discussion. The education secretary spent a half-hour answering questions about his journey as a young student in Connecticut. The eight students chosen for the panel were first-generation Americans or those whose first language was not English. Maria had to learn English when she entered primary school, much like Cardona, who entered kindergarten speaking only Spanish. Norwalk Public Schools students speak 59 languages and come from 70 different countries.

As reported by The Hour, Maria especially appreciated her time with Secretary Cardona on behalf of her mother who was watching the Livestream and still learning to speak English. “She understands some English, but when he spoke in Spanish, I’m like, she definitely knows what’s going on. She definitely knows the message that’s coming through,” Fe Luque said.

Harvard admitted just 3.19% of applicants to its class of 2026, the lowest admit rate in its history. Harvard also received a record number of applications, 7% more than last year’s record number! Notorious for its low acceptance rate, Harvard admitted just 1,954 students from the 61,220 students who applied. Maria will be joining students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, US overseas territories, and 98 countries.

Kimberly Gaddy, Carver's earliest intern at Norwalk Hospital

As we report on our new internship program at Norwalk Hospital, we’re proud to declare that Kimberly Gaddy, today a Carver board member who also conducts a computer literacy program for Carver parents, was our first intern at Norwalk Hospital decades ago.

A Norwalk High School graduate in the 1980s, Kimberly received priceless and timely inspiration and work experience throughout her student years in the Carver community.

Born and raised in Norwalk, Kimberly was first introduced to computer science at the Carver Community Center. Carver’s then-executive director, Richard N. Fuller, Sr., gave her the responsibility of installing and maintaining the community center’s computers.

“One day, when I was just 16 years old, Mr. Fuller stopped me mid-stride in the hallway and asked me to configure and install the operating systems on three new IBM PCs (PS2s) newly obtained through a state grant. I had no experience at that point with such things, but that was the whole point. Mr. Fuller challenged me to stand up and embrace the challenge. And I did. From that point forward my interest in computers and technology soared,” Kimberly remembers.  

In her senior year at Norwalk High School, Kimberly’s career in technology, data analysis, and reporting took a more definitive and ambitious turn when Mr. Fuller introduced Kimberly to leaders at Norwalk Hospital.

Dr. Shirley Williams, Chief of Outpatient Ambulatory Psychiatry, and Dolores Downer, RN, Director of what was then known as the hospital’s ICOTT Program, provided Kimberly the opportunity to work after-school and during the summer. Dr. Alexander Kolezar also gave Kimberly the opportunity to learn and manage what was then Microsoft’s newly launched windows-based productivity software suite called Microsoft Works for PCs, the prototype for what eventually became Microsoft Office.

Kimberly left Norwalk to pursue her undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Hampton University, a private, historically Black, research university in Hampton, Virginia.

“Throughout my years of undergraduate studies, I interned at Norwalk Hospital during my summer and winter breaks, which helped me to afford college. I was primarily responsible for office management, analyzing, and reporting on outpatient psychiatric data,” Kimberly explains. “The data was submitted to the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, as numerous state grants supported the hospital’s three psychiatric outpatient programs. This crucial connection was a pivotal ‘earn and learn’ experience that allowed me to successfull complete my undergraduate degree on time.”

After graduating from Hampton University, Kimberly was recruited as a Programmer Analyst by Aetna for the Aetna Information Technology Associate Program and was assigned to the Managed Care Systems team that supported Aetna’s National Provider and Non-Provider Databases. 

Kimberly and her technology students (Carver parents) at the Carver Community Center

A few years later, Kimberly was offered an opportunity at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven as a Senior Systems Report Analyst in Information Services Planning & Data Management. She was responsible for data integrity and report generation for the hospital’s Clinical and Decision Support Systems. Before eventually moving on in her career, Kimberly was an Integration Analyst maintaining the hospital-wide system-to-system interfaces while embarking on the new world of data integration.  

After working in the healthcare sector for many years an opportunity arose in the utility sector when she worked for Southern CT Gas Company while obtaining her Master’s Degree in Computer Science and continuing to develop her data integration and technology skills. 

In 2005, Kimberly returned to healthcare and spent the next 11 years working for Yale University’s School of Medicine. Kimberly began there as a Senior Programmer Analyst III and then moved up to the Director of Information Systems and Decision Support position. Her primary responsibility was to manage and integrate information systems, provide training, and direct decision support needs for Yale Medical Group’s Revenue Cycle and Practice Management services. She also provided data-based information, training, and analytical solutions to Yale University School of Medicine and Yale-New Haven Health System, improving the overall quality and cost-effectiveness of patient care and business services. 

In early 2016, Kimberly signed on with Gartner, Inc. in Stamford as their Director of Reporting and Analytics. Gartner is an information technology (IT) research and consultancy company, formerly known as Gartner Group. Kimberly directed all aspects of the enterprise business intelligence, data warehousing, and data integration strategy for Global Consulting and provided the strategic long-term data and analytics vision through the implementation of repeatable processes and procedures improving productivity and reducing costs.  

Kimberly teaches our parents in the Tech Center on the second floor of the Carver Community Center.

Kimberly created this computer literacy class in 2018. The free 8-week course meets twice a week. The curriculum provides introductory and intermediate training in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Access. The goal is to close the digital divide for those parents who need the necessary skills to compete in our fast-paced technological economy. Some of our parents have never before turned on a computer.  As of 2019, 28% of Norwalk residents were born outside of the United States. Norwalk Public Schools students speak 59 languages and come from 70 different countries.

Currently, Ms. Gaddy is a Senior Director, Data Analytics, in the Chief Data Office for Gartner Information Technology. She is the technical portfolio owner for Community Data Solutions, delivering analytical, operational, and new sources of data across all Gartner business units and driving transparency, collaboration, and consistency around data to provide first-class data and foster better data-driven decisions. 

Kimberly began her IT career at the Carver Community Center before IT as we know it today was even a career field. Norwalk Hospital then opened career doors, gave her vital relationships, and revealed whole vistas of new knowledge and experience. Those priceless experiences blossomed into Kimberly’s now-28-year career that continues to expand into new frontiers in the evolving fields of Healthcare, Technology, Data, and Analytics.  

Kimberly Gaddy is a Carver board member, Carver volunteer, lifetime scholar, professional achiever, and a shining example of what awaits Carver students who are willing to take the risks and invest the hard work necessary to realize their dreams.

Kimberly and Norwalk Hospital are Carver heroes.

Kimberly standing with Connecticut State Senator Bob Duff at the Carver Community Center

The Richard and Barbara Whitcomb Foundation renew their Presenting Sponsor level support for the 2022 Child of America Gala

The Richard and Barbara Whitcomb Foundation returns as a 2022 Presenting Sponsor. Here is the video we created to thank them for their Presenting Sponsorship last year.

Join the Whitcomb family and so many more sponsors in supporting our 2022 Child of America Gala on Friday, May 20th, at Shorehaven Golf Club, when we will be honoring Jerry Craft, a longtime Carver friend and advocate.

Individual in-person tickets will not be available until the end of April, as this cherished event mostly sells out early with event sponsors.

Our virtual guests will enjoy the gala as if they are there, as was the case last year when we honored Josè Feliciano.

We are returning this year to our traditional gala, such as the year we honored Sean “Diddy” Combs (and here).

All the joyful gala elements will return this year, including inspiring fellowship, the reception, the auction, and so much more!

Your support changes the world for Carver scholars!

GO HERE TO MAKE YOUR SPONSOR DONATION.

Write GALA and/or any other message in the Comment window.

See a print version of the sponsor donation form here.

Contact Nikki LaFaye at (203) 945-9665/mobile; nikki@carvercenterct.org, to pledge your sponsorship gift to reserve your table(s), to share with your guest list, and with any inquiries or special requests.

See our 2021 Gala sponsors here and the special videos created for each sponsor by clicking on their interactive logos.

Carver scholar Cassandra Midy is one of our 24 students interning at Norwalk Hospital

Cassandra is a Norwalk senior with a 3.7 GPA. She has years of volunteer experience at such places as the Norwalk Public Library and the Stepping Stones Museum for Children.

Cassandra is also a Carver after-school student participating in our new internship program at Norwalk Hospital.

Cassandra is looking at several colleges, but right now Iona College will be her likely choice. She received an early acceptance letter. This private Catholic college in New Rochelle offers more than 60 undergraduate programs. What also appeals to her is the intimacy this relatively small campus offers.

Cassandra is interning at Norwalk Hospital with an interest in pursuing a career in psychiatric care. She already possesses the most important skills to work in the mental health field including empathy, compassion, active listening, information technology savvy, healthy professional boundaries, ethics, and a strong desire to help. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing recently reported that 77% of counties in the United States are experiencing a severe shortage of mental health providers. Demand for mental health professionals is projected to greatly increase in the years to come. 

She aims to help remove the stigma of mental illness, to show that it is not a weakness. “We should be in awe of the amazing tenacity that many people with mental health challenges display daily. Simply getting through the day often requires huge reserves of energy, determination, and mental strength,” Cassandra shares.

Cassandra wants to be there for those whom teachers, parents, and friends too often cannot reach.  She will bring to her studies and eventually to her professional work the unflinching conviction that no person is irredeemable or incapable of having a full life.

Carver has many programs, budgets, a long history, and strategic plans. But it is the individual Carver student, such as Cassandra, who embodies Carver’s significance and promise.

Carver scholars are changing our world and our pride and confidence in them are boundless.

Carver mentor Tony Nanez encourages Carver students to excel by persevering

Antonio (Tony) Nanez, Regional Head of Commodity Trade Finance at North America HSBC, is a mentor to Carver high school students. With over 20 years of experience in client relationship management, structuring and syndication in the trade and commodity finance space, and as a graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business, Tony’s advice and guidance are priceless.

Our students attentively embrace all that he gives them. 

Tony recently met with a group of our high school students at the Carver Community Center. He shared lessons learned on his personal journey and listened to our students who voiced questions and concerns about life, learning, and careers. 

Tony connected with our youth by meeting them exactly where they are. He talked about his early childhood in Washington Heights as an only child with a single parent along with his numerous cousins after his family emigrated to the US from Venezuela. Tony didn’t allow the discouraging influences of his neighborhood to stir him in a negative direction. He shared about the personal challenges he faced early on when could not speak English and later when he became the de facto translator for his family. Tony worked through college.  The striving never ends. Tony has been living in Connecticut for 20 years helping raise four children with his wife who is a nurse pursuing her master’s degree. 

Student Question: Did you always know you wanted to go into banking? 

Tony talked about the importance of having a mentor. His father-in-law, an African American international banking executive told him about banking and working hard, habits he still uses today. 

Student Question: How do you handle stress? 

Tony talked about finding balance, the benefits of meditation, and managing stress by putting it in different mental compartments, and by prioritizing. Tony talked about the importance of being in programs like Carver’s and being around like-minded peers and adults. He talked about setting goals and committing to accomplishing them. Tony spoke about being open to learning new things, and about the power of internships, traveling, and continuing education.

 The students asked many questions: 

How has the war in Ukraine and other world events impacted your job? How many countries have you visited? How did you make it out of Washington Heights? Did you ever want to give up or feel like you didn’t belong at NYU? How challenging was it not to be able to speak English? What made you not fall into the negative paths of growing up in the Heights and getting in trouble?

Tony met with our students last week during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson’s story of wandering the campus of Harvard as a new student, feeling out of her element, and wondering if she belonged, echoed what Tony and our students discussed. 

Jackson was encouraged that fateful day decades ago by an older black woman who knowingly read the expression on Jackson’s face and simply spoke to her a single word, "Persevere." That word may have made the difference for Jackson. But for her (and our students) it may be more the realization that she, young and lost as she may have felt, was seen and appreciated.

Tony likewise acknowledges the infinite value of each of our students by being there with them and encouraging and advising them. Tony gives our students that same message today: to persevere.

Jerry Craft is our 2022 Child of America honoree

Jerry Craft several days ago at the banned book section of a NJ library.

At our annual gala on Friday, May 20th, at Shorehaven Golf Club in Norwalk, we will be honoring Jerry Craft.

Jerry taught graphic arts and writing to Carver kids for more than 10 years. Jerry is an American cartoonist and children's book illustrator best known for his syndicated newspaper comic strip Mama's Boyz and his graphic novel New Kid. Jerry is one of only a handful of syndicated African American cartoonists in the US.

Jerry is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid and Class Act. New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020); the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020). Jerry was born in Harlem and grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City.

Despite attempts by lawmakers and some parents to remove his books from Texas schools, Jerry’s books have actually gotten more attention thanks to the controversies.

Moreover, the director Prentice Penny, LeBron James’ SpringHill, and Universal are teaming up to bring Jerry’s New Kid to the big screen!

Carver "Earn & Learn" student interns are fitted for their scrubs at Norwalk Hospital

We shared here recently (and here) about Carver’s new Earn & learn paid internship program for Norwalk high school students.

Twenty-four of these students are interns at Norwalk Hospital. They were formed into four groups of six students, each cohort rotating equally through the hospital’s various departments, including HR, food services. and the hospital’s own power station.

One of these cohorts, as the photos here highlight, was welcomed by the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer and the Nursing Leadership. The students were fitted for their own individual scrubs to be ordered for their days ahead in the internship program.

Medicine can be an extremely rewarding profession. It can also be a challenging career path. Our students shadow the most talented medical professionals in the world to learn what they will be getting into.

Carver after-school students learn essential leadership and teamwork skills. They learn the importance of avoiding snap judgments, contending with uncertainty, communicating effectively and humanely, and working as an effective team to deliver quality care to patients. And they learn about and abide by all the privacy rules that govern hospitals and healthcare.

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are receiving the support they deserve

As our juniors and seniors consider their college and career options, we are planning our 50th annual Spring College Tour, we are raising support for our College Scholarship Program, and many of the colleges, especially HBCUs, that Carver students value are innovating and transforming their institutions.

In recent months and years, donors and the government have elevated the profile of HBCUs with the support they deserve. Most recently, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund, and Partnership for Education Advancement have announced the launch of a collaborative effort to drive tangible, long-term progress across historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and boost the Black economy.

With an initial $60 million commitment from the funding collaborative Blue Meridian Partners, the HBCU Transformation Project aims to increase HBCU health and sustainability, improve student outcomes in retention and graduation rates, expand enrollment, and bolster capacity building with faculty and staff. To that end, the coalition will provide flexible support and focus resources on the highest priorities at each institution, including support for institutional and intermediary capacity building, efforts to increase public funding for HBCUs, private capital campaigns for endowments and sustainable reserves, community, and regional economic development partnerships, and a reorientation of the narratives surrounding HBCUs toward their outsized impact on social and economic mobility outcomes.