February 4, 2026.
9:00 a.m.
Saunders Trades and Technical High School.
Now listen.
At 9:00 in the morning, most teenagers are not trying to be inspired.
You’re trying to stay awake.
You’re trying to find your phone.
You’re trying to remember if you actually did that homework.
So when I walked into the building and saw students wide-eyed and alert?
I knew.
Something was different.
Because the energy was already giving:
“Pay attention. This matters.”
It was freezing outside, winter was doing entirely too much.
But inside?
Warm.
Not because of heat.
Because of heart.
There was laughter.
There was nervous excitement.
There was purpose in the air.
It felt like something important was about to happen.
And it was.
Because this space didn’t just appear.
It was built.
For eleven years.
By two women who refused to quit:
Melvina Lathan and Ashley Pallano.
Together, for eleven years, they have been creating this event, not for attention, not for applause, but for students. For community. For legacy.
That kind of consistency matters.
That kind of love shows.
You could feel it in the room.
Then Melvina stepped up.
And let’s be clear.
Melvina Lathan is the first African American boxing commissioner in New York State.
The first.
Which means she had to walk into rooms where nobody expected her.
Nobody made space.
Nobody rolled out a welcome mat.
And she still made it.
And now?
She makes space for everybody else.
She looked at the students and said sports give you:
Confidence.
Discipline.
Courage.
Not just for the game.
For life.
She said, “Take what you gain.”
Meaning: Don’t leave your greatness in the gym.
Carry it everywhere.
Then she said, “This is what strength looks like.”
And suddenly everybody sat up straighter.
Because she was talking about us.
Next came Aníbal Soler Jr., Superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools.
Not distant.
Not performative.
Not just about a title.
Real.
The kind of leadership that shows up and lets students know:
“I see you.
I believe in you.
You matter.”
Then Roseanne Collins-Judon spoke.
Associate Superintendent of High Schools for Yonkers Public Schools.
She reminded us that sports can be your GPS for your life.
Because life does not come with directions.
You learn by moving.
By trying.
By failing.
By getting back up.
She said your identity is your power.
Not your weakness.
Your power.
Principal Jeremy Rynders stood proudly for his students, showing that when adults believe in you, it changes how you see yourself.
Then Susan Gerry spoke.
The first woman Deputy Mayor of Yonkers.
The first.
Which means she had to do it without a blueprint.
She talked about perseverance.
About staying in rooms that weren’t built for you.
About believing in yourself when nobody else does.
Then Shanae Williams stepped up.
Westchester County Legislator and Majority Whip.
Before she even received her award, she told her story.
She talked about growing up when sports access was limited.
When opportunities weren’t equal.
When nobody was checking for you.
And she still kept going.
Still believed.
Still pushed.
Still rose.
And then she received the Community Advocate Award.
And it felt right.
Like the universe saying, “We see you.”
After that, Lakisha Collins-Bellamy spoke.
Yonkers City Council President.
An African American woman in leadership.
She said:
“You belong in every room. God opens the door for you to be in.”
And let’s pause right there.
Because in that room?
For the first time in Yonkers history…
Four out of seven council members are women.
Four.
Out of seven.
That is history.
And their names deserve to be said out loud:
- Council President: Lakisha Collins-Bellamy
- City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac
- City Councilwoman Tasha Diaz
- City Councilwoman Deana R. Norman
Four women.
Four leaders.
Four examples of what’s possible.
Then Symra Brandon spoke.
The first African American council member in Yonkers.
Director of Community Affairs for Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Another first.
Another barrier breaker.
She reminded everyone that leadership isn’t about titles.
It’s about service.
When you rise, you lift.
And she meant it.
Around the room were women who had been “the first” in their fields.
Melvina Lathan.
Susan Gerry.
Symra Brandon.
Lakisha Collins-Bellamy.
Fatima Taylor.
First.
First.
First.
Which means they were scared.
They were doubted.
They were underestimated.
And they still won.
They still showed up.
They still made history.
And just as powerful as the speakers were the people making sure students had real support.
Jennifer Villa from the Yonkers Youth Bureau was there.
Providing resources.
Programs.
Opportunities.
Access to youth services.
The kind of support that doesn’t just motivate you for one day.
It changes your life.
And Jordanne Lewis, representing Bronx/Westchester AHEC, was part of that support too.
Offering pathways into medical careers.
Training programs.
Introductory courses.
Accelerated programs.
Real steps.
Real options.
Real futures.
So students weren’t just hearing, “Dream big.”
They were hearing, “Here’s how.”
Then came the awards.
And it got quiet.
Because this part was real.
Nailah Searight – EmpowerHer Athletic Award
Sofia Lauda – Rising Star Award
Juan Mota – Educational Advocate Award, the fashion and design teacher who inspires creativity, confidence, and self-expression
Shanae Williams – Community Advocate Award
Students and staff from this school.
On that stage.
Being celebrated.
I watched their faces.
Proud.
Nervous.
Happy.
Shocked.
Like, “Me?”
Yes.
You.
And in that moment, everybody felt it.
This wasn’t about trophies.
This was about proof.
Proof that:
You matter.
Your work matters.
Your dreams are valid.
Your future is possible.
And in the middle of all of it, I realized something.
I wasn’t just attending this moment.
I was honored to witness it.
Grateful for the opportunity to cover this event.
Grateful to listen.
Grateful to learn.
Grateful to share these stories.
Because some moments deserve to be remembered.
And this was one of them.
For eleven years, Melvina Lathan and Ashley Pallano have been planting seeds.
And on this day?
We saw the harvest.
And at the end of it all, the loudest part of the day wasn’t on the stage.
It was in the small moments.
In the hallway.
In the seats.
In whispered conversations.
We started hearing the girls talk.
“I feel different.”
“I feel more confident.”
“I didn’t know I could do that.”
“I feel like I matter.”
No microphones.
No spotlight.
Just truth.
And you could see it.
In their smiles.
In their posture.
In the way they walked out a little taller than they walked in.
They didn’t just leave with memories.
They left with belief.
And that’s what made the day unforgettable.
On February 4, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., we didn’t just attend an event.
We witnessed possibility.
We witnessed power.
We witnessed the future.
And it was built by firsts, guided by fearless women, and carried forward by us.
