GENERATIONS
GENERATIONS
Benefit for Horizons at Saint David ’ s
“ These two men are a testament to what our alums can do ,” said Nicole Ransone , Executive Director of Horizons at Saint David ’ s . “ I ’ m so appreciative of the rock stars they are .” With that , she handed the mic to Horizons ’ volunteers Davis Church ( Saint David ’ s Class of 2020 ) and Aaron P . ( Horizons Class of 2020 ).
The occasion was Horizons at Saint David ’ s annual benefit , held Tuesday evening , May 2 , 2023 in our Benno Gymnasium . The evening was a tremendous success , raising more than $ 100,000 for the tuition-free , intensive academic and enrichment program for boys from our partner schools in East Harlem .
Horizons was born as a mission-focused , greater good initiative of Saint David ’ s to provide educational opportunities for local elementary school children who wouldn ’ t otherwise have access to programs and resources like these . Over 12 years , the program has evolved from a single class of rising first graders . It now covers the full spectrum of elementary school years ( rising-first to rising-ninth grades ) and also offers fall and spring sessions .
This spring benefit was dedicated to the nearly 40 young highschool-age alumni from both Saint David ’ s School and Horizons at Saint David ’ s who volunteer together for the program . The volunteers are essential . They arrive in-person each day of the session , collaborate with each other ,
read to the boys , accompany classes on field trips , assist at lunch and with group projects , and basically do whatever is needed to ensure a successful day of learning and fun . They get to know each other and the younger boys in the program well , sharing life stories , insights , and laughs , and serve as role models for the boys .
Davis has volunteered with Horizons for the last three years ; he has loved working with the boys and remarked on how much he ’ s learned from them . Aaron , who at five years of age was a member of the first Horizons cohort in 2012 , shared the three most significant lessons he took from his nine years in the program : the values of brotherhood , preparation , and being good men . Both alumni have enjoyed and valued the opportunity to collaborate with each other and play a role in the program ’ s success .
Horizons at Saint David ’ s has been extraordinarily successful in preventing “ summer slide ” according to several metrics , including gains in reading and math ; and it features a strong social-emotional component . We are grateful to the members of our Saint David ’ s extended community for their continuous , enthusiastic commitment to and support for Horizons : thank you to the program ’ s boys and their families , the advisory board , executive director and administrators , teachers , donors , and our many young Horizons and Saint David ’ s School volunteers .
64 • Saint David ’ s Magazine