#youngtrailblazer

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Dayne Solano. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/dayne-solano/?feed_id=8732 >> He has a 3.89 GPA, part of Pead Education, Elevated (mentors children to get to college) Panorama Park Youth Advisory Council, plays competitive basketball, gives back to his community by volunteering. Including volunteering at Care and Share, Balloon Classic, painting the lines on the basketball courts at his local parks, trail clean ups and does the yard work for his grandpa after a recent stroke. He is a leader at his school, captain of the basketball team and qb of the district football team. He is active in restorative justice and keeping his fellow classmates positive and helping them make the right choices. His work ethic shines in and out of the classroom. He also participated in the Black Lives Matter protest this past summer. He is focused on getting into college and wants to continue to give back to his Southeast Colorado Springs neighborhood as he goes through life. >> He has a 3.89 GPA, part of Pead Education, Elevated (mentors children to get to college) Panorama Park Youth Advisory Council, plays competitive basketball, gives back to his community by volunteering. Including volunteering at Care and Share, Balloon Classic, painting the lines on the basketball courts at his local parks, trail clean ups and does the yard work for his grandpa after a recent stroke. He is a leader at his school, captain of the basketball team and qb of the district football team. He is active in restorative justice and keeping his fellow classmates positive and helping them make the right choices. His work ethic shines in and out of the classroom. He also participated in the Black Lives Matter protest this past summer. He is focused on getting into college and wants to continue to give back to his Southeast Colorado Springs neighborhood as he goes through life.

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Armani Boxley. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/armani-boxley/?feed_id=8706 >> Recently awarded student of the month, Armani possesses the heart of a champion. At an early age, he has demonstrated the ability to overcome challenges. >> Nominations Nominated By Hillside Connection Leadership "Small but mighty ... Armani possesses the heart of a champion. At an early age, he has demonstrated the ability to overcome challenges. He is a self starter who, during the summer months, committed to challenging 6am strength and conditioning workouts with the middle school age group. Armani's testimony will be one to remember as he continues to lift up others at his elementary school (James Madison Elementary) where he was awarded Student of Month." Interview By My Black Colorado What school do you attend and what year are you in? Monroe elementary 5th grade What do you think others would say that they like the most about you? explain why. Respectful, kind, helpful, and ambitious. Because I’m always looking for a way to help others. When you are not in a class, what are the things you enjoy being involved with? explain why. Playing with younger siblings, playing basketball, playing Ps4, and playing outside. I love seeing my siblings smile and I love playing b-ball because I’m very passionate about it. What is the best advice someone has given you recently? Work hard now so you can play hard later. What is one thing you want to get better at?  explain why. Basketball What do you think is one piece of advice that you think adults need to hear, to help them connect with the younger generation better? Supports your kids’ dreams, no matter what they are What accomplishments or awards are you most proud of? explain why?  Mustang of the Month because it made me feel good to know I accomplished something by doing things out of the kindness of my heart. What impact have you made in the community that you are most proud of? explain why? Being in the Hillside connection program, we learn to dominate on and off the court, and with that, I’ve learned the importance of giving back to my community as they have given back to me and my family. My family and I donate to the Ronald McDonald House and I’m proud of that because I love helping the unfortunate. What do you think you want to do for a career.  Explain why? Play basketball. It would be awesome to get paid to do something I love. What role have your parents played in helping you excel in life? My mom puts me in everything basketball related. She bought my first basketball, makes sure I’m at all my camps, and supports me 100%.

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Britton-Grae Chapman. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/britton-grae-chapman/?feed_id=8697 >> An outstanding individual, incredibly intelligent, and happens to be one of Colorado’s youngest successful DJ’s. He goes by the stage name “DJ Dopewave” >> Nominations Nominated By John Chapman IV "We are nominating Britton-Grae because he is an outstanding individual, incredibly intelligent, and happens to be one of Colorado’s youngest successful DJ’s. He goes by the stage name “DJ Dopewave” and this year he has definitely made waves of his own. Britt has been the subject of two murals, one in downtown Denver and the other in Milwaukee, WI. As a student, he is a part of the highly talented and gifted program for Denver Public Schools. We are thankful for this opportunity to nominate such an amazing child, and of course we appreciate an outlet such as myblackcolorado.com for allowing us to take part." Interview By My Black Colorado What school do you attend and what year are you in? Corey Elementary, 3rd grade. What do you think others would say that they like the most about you? explain why. People would say they like my DJing. Because as a DJ people have to love you, because you set a vibe, and they love you for that. When you are not in a class, what are the things you enjoy being involved with? explain why. Boxing, playing games with my family and enjoying my video games. What is the best advice someone has given you recently? The person who gave me the best advice was KDJ, and he said, "You're going to be the next best young DJ in 2021, so you have to keep practicing and working hard.” What is one thing you want to get better at?  explain why. Something I really want to get better at is probably learning all the techniques of DJing.I want to be great, so I'm just studying the greats. What do you think is one piece of advice that you think adults need to hear, to help them connect with the younger generation better? Some advice adults need to hear is that adults can do anything, and adults are just like kids. What accomplishments or awards are you most proud of? explain why?  When I was in first grade, I got an award for being able to spell any word my teachers asked me to spell. But I'm just proud of myself because of my work, and my life. I have a good life. What impact have you made in the community that you are most proud of? explain why? I've probably impacted most people by just being who I am. What do you think you want to do for a career.  Explain why? DJing because it's the most important thing in the world. Because whenever you DJ, you give people a type of feeling that is good or bad. And my goal is to make everyone have a good feeling. What role have your parents played in helping you excel in life? My parents have done everything for me. They love me. My mom kisses me too much, and my father pushes me to be great mentally, physically and they both make me responsible for being a good child. I mean, I've been reading since I was one.

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Ca'mar Toney. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/camar-toney/?feed_id=8680 >> He is an honor roll student at Mountain Vista Middle School and has been a part of Hillside Connection's program since the beginning. >> Nominations Nominated By Hillside Connection Leadership "Quiet but extremely thoughtful. Ca’mar can be considered "reserved" or "to himself" but beyond that is a kid with a creative sense that needs to be ignited. He is an honor roll student at Mountain Vista Middle School and has been a part of Hillside Connection's program since our inception. No matter the circumstance, Ca'Mar plays his role in sports for the betterment of the group. Hillside Connection is currently in the process of exposing youth to a multitude of "pathways to opportunity". He is talented in arts and crafts, and possesses the ability to build things effortlessly. Savvy with technology if nurtured/guided in the right direction. Hillside Connection's leadership believes Ca’mar has promise in whatever field he chooses, specifically coding, design, and development. He is a young brother that deserves to be highlighted." Interview By My Black Colorado What school do you attend and what year are you in? The school that I go to is Mountain Vista Community School and I am in sixth grade. What do you think others would say that they like the most about you? explain why. I think that people would say that I’m a fast learner because that’s what my teachers and family say. I also understand things quickly. When you are not in a class, what are the things you enjoy being involved with? explain why. When I'm not in school some things that I enjoy doing is cooking, drawing, and also building models out of my legos. What is the best advice someone has given you recently? Some advice that I was given is to be a leader, not a follower. My mom gave me that advice and it applies to my everyday life because being a leader will keep me on the path to success What is one thing you want to get better at?  explain why. One thing that I would like to get better at is perfecting my craft in all things I like to do. I enjoy drawing and cooking. I would like to get better at those particular things so that when I grow up I can design my own shoe. I would also choose to design for major companies. I like cooking too so that when I grow up I can be a chef and cook for people. What do you think is one piece of advice that you think adults need to hear, to help them connect with the younger generation better? Some advice that I think parents need to hear is that they should take responsibility for their kids' actions. Some parents would blame things on their kids for something that the kid did, when it is partially their fault for not making sure that they didn’t do what they did. To take responsibility for their kids' actions means to make sure that they’re on the right track. What accomplishments or awards are you most proud of? explain why?  One of my accomplishments I’m most proud of is my first place trophy for the gold crown because I practiced and played hard to be able to be part of the team. What impact have you made in the community that you are most proud of? explain why? An impact that I have made in this community that I’m most proud of is helping my Uncle’s community get where it is today, with helping at the Trunk or Treat and helping with the Turkey and coat drive giving back to the community. What do you think you want to do for a career.  Explain why? Something that I would want to do for a career is make it to the NBA because that’s always been my goal. If the NBA does not work out I would love to be a shoe designer. What role have your parents played in helping you excel in life? A role that my parents played to help me in my life is by always giving me the support and help that I need to survive.

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Leon Tsyganok-Williams. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/leon-tsyganok-williams/?feed_id=8671 >> A young humanitarian that is involved in his community and cares about making a difference and helping others >> Nominations Nominated By Constance Cheatham "Humanitarian (Community Involvement)" Interview By My Black Colorado Tell me a little bit about yourself. I'm nine years old and I'm in fourth grade at Soaring Eagles Elementary. What do you think others would say that they like about you? They would say that I am quiet and I'm humble because I like to know them before I talk. I'm humbled because I'm friendly and respect them. When you're not in classes what are things you enjoy being involved with? I like to help the homeless and play sports like basketball, soccer, and flag football. I also do community events with my mom. What type of Community events are you involved with your mom? We do like festivals and we do community cleanups. What is the best advice someone has given you recently? My mom and Dad always tell me to be kind and respect others. What's one thing you think you can get better at? There's two things: I want to be better at playing the piano and be better at basketball. What is one piece of what do you think adults need to hear to connect with the younger generation better? My advice that I would give to an adult is to spend more time with their kids and love them a lot. What accomplishment or awards are you the proudest of and why? I'm most proud of the medals I got for basketball, soccer, and football. What impact have you made in the community that you're most proud of and why? I like to clean in different places to help the environment and make the Earth healthier so plants and things won't die away. What role do you want to have for a career when you get older? I want to play professional basketball because I love sports. What role have your parents played in helping you grow and be successful? They support me in everything I do.

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Mariah Hofmann. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/mariah-hofmann/?feed_id=8662 >> Mariah demonstrates excellent academic achievement, amazing leadership skills, and the ability to be resilient during this past year >> Nominations Nominated By Leslie Garza "I am nominating Mariah because she demonstrates excellent academic achievement, amazing leadership skills, and the ability to be resilient during this past year of Covid-19." Interview Hi, my name is Mariah, I go to Horizon Middle School and I am in seventh grade. I believe others would see me as a determined and hardworking person because I proceed to try my hardest and always go the extra mile. When I’m not in the classroom I still try to do my best even if it's just hanging out with my friends, playing basketball, and even art. My mom has always been good with giving advice but specifically, this piece of advice that has stuck with me, never try to impress others and just be myself. I think the reason why this advice has stuck with me is that I’ve realized that I was putting too much pressure on myself to be “perfect” and now I can focus on me. Although I try to do my best at all times I want to get better at working with others I want to work with people to meet new people and make new friends. Times have been tough on all of us for the past months, but parents could try to listen to what is happening especially because we are having to practically teach ourselves. At the beginning of the year, I wrote things down that I wanted to accomplish but not things that were impossible to achieve. The biggest goal I have/had is to make and maintain good grades for school. Not only did I do this to feel accomplished at the end of it all but I also did this to have something to look back on and be proud of.  I have tried to do small things for my community, such as: donating toys, and clothes but in the future, I want to do a lot more. As a career in the future, I want to be an entrepreneur because I want to be my girl boss and not work under a man in our man-dominated society. However, this wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for my parents, because they have helped and motivated me to be my best self that I can be and without them, I wouldn’t have most of the opportunities I have today.

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Shaniya Newland. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/shaniya-newland/?feed_id=8653 >> Shaniya not only has a great personality, but she loves life. She plays the violin beautifully, was very active in gymnastics. >> Nominations Nominated By Leona M. Abdullah-Ward "Shaniya not only has a great personality, but she loves life. She plays the violin beautifully, was very active in gymnastics, and frequently does flips, cartwheels and other moves during her break time at In-Balance Dance studio. She excels in her dance moves and is always ready, willing, and able to help others. Shaniyah displays the skills of a natural born leader when it comes to teaching her tikok moves used during dance class; she is so vibrant, so cheerful, and always a joy to be around, Shaniyah took her sign language skills to a new level, skills gleaned by spending quality, loving moments with her grandmother, and shares with all who will listen. Once after dance, the students and I spent time learning and talking piglatin, (a funny made up language). Shaniyah now comes to class and speaks in piglatin to communicate between those who learned the language. Her joy for sharing, learning, and loving will take her far in life."

Join My Black City in Celebrating and Supporting Zariea Patrick. We Shine Brighter Together. #MyBlackCity https://myblackcity.org/zariea-patrick/?feed_id=8618 >> Zariea received a gold honor roll achievement award for her 3.8 GPA. She has been accepted into the Peak Education Scholar program, holding pageant titles. >> Nominations Nominated By Sherrie White "Zariea's family adopted her cousin who had cystic fibrosis. Zariea would help her cousin while throwing up, G-tube feeding, getting dressed and much much more. Kamiyha Oakley transitioned to heaven just a short time ago and Zariea was devastated but did not stop her drive to help others. Zariea was recognized by KKTV News 13 for her volunteer work throughout the southern Colorado Springs community. Zariea also helps raise money through the Color Run for families who are disadvantaged. Last year Zariea‘s pediatrician noticed a large mass growing on the side of her neck. We knew how scared Zariea was, but her foundation stood on faith. She had the tumor in her neck removed and didn’t allow it to slow her down. Zariea and her family received a letter from Barack Obama for the hard work her siblings do throughout the community. COVID-19 has not stopped Zariea. Recently she received a gold honor roll achievement award for her 3.8 GPA. She has been accepted into Peak Education Scholar program, holding pageant titles.