Stephanie Addenbrooke Photo
New Haven lawyer Greg Pepe gave over $10,000 in college education scholarships to deserving high school seniors. Why? In part, to give other students something to LEAP for.
Pepe’s firm is a sponsor of four students from the LEAP program, a community-based academic and social enrichment program for students in New Haven. LEAP — which stands for the organization’s core principles: Leadership, Education, Athletics and Partnerships — began training this summer’s counselors this past week. Monday evening the group held a celebration of those counselors who will be heading to college in the fall.
Over 100 LEAP supporters and proud parents gathered at Gateway Community College to recognize the seniors in the program. Henry Fernandez, executive director of LEAP, called Monday’s presentation a further effort to bring a sense of celebration to the idea of a college education. All of the scholarship winners are junior counselors at LEAP, which means they work with groups of children in a multi-tiered mentorship program. They participate in a youth development program four days a week, and then meet with their assigned group once weekly.
The Pepe-funded scholarships awarded on Monday were given in recognition of the student’s hard work at LEAP, and in the classroom.
“Like Harry Potter and LeBron James, you are the chosen ones,” Pepe told his scholarship recipients.
He said he hopes the scholarships inspire future counselors to pursue college educations as well.
The family of Jay Bovilsky, a former LEAP board member who passed away in 1999, gave $1000 scholarships to Gina Benson and Branazia Walton. Bovilsky, as described on Monday by his son Adam, was a first-generation college student with a love of education.
“He believed education was the way to equalize society,” Adam said of his father.
The sentiment was echoed by Greg Pepe, who was representing his firm Neubert, Pepe and Monteith. His firm’s scholarship funds awarded $2500 each to Tatiana Alvelo, Ajanae Amos, Forel Kourouma and Quiara Outing.
Pepe was also a first-generation college student.
“I know what it means to work hard … and that’s what we’re trying to recognize today,” Pepe said
The students said they look forward to delving into the college experience. Three of the students plan to stay in Connecticut for their studies, with Benson, Amos and Outing each looking to attend Southern Connecticut State University in the fall.
Benson said she is excited to begin specializing in the field of criminal justice and get her “dream job” investigating crime scenes.
The scholarships will help pay for tuition, an ever-rising cost. Kourouma said the scholarship is helping to make his “dream into a reality.” He is heading to Western Massachusetts to begin his studies at Hampshire College. There, he hopes to pursue a double major in computer science and business, before beginning his own e‑commerce company.
Elvert Eden, who leads the Youth Development program, said the students are all “incredibly deserving.”
“I am so proud of all of them,” he said. “They’re great role models.”
Pepe said his firm chose their four awardees for their hard-working and motivated nature, as well as their demonstrated talents inside and outside of the classroom. He said he hopes they return to New Haven, which he described as a “small city with a big heart.”
Both Pepe and Fernandez said they hope the scholarships will inspire other New Haven students to pursue higher education, maybe presenting more scholarship to future LEAP students.
“You will start on that path this summer, giving scholarship of the mind,” Fernandez told the junior counselors.
The junior counselors will join current college students in preparing to invite middle school students for LEAP’s summer program. This weekend, they’ll head to the outdoors to prep for a camping trip involving 500 students.
