THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019 THE EDISON BALLROOM | 240 WEST 47TH STREET NYC
HOSTED BY JAY WILLIAMS, ESPN HOST & NBA ANALYST
HONORING MICHELE ROBERTS, NATIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION JUSTIN TUCK, GOLDMAN SACHS
CO-CHAIRS WILL BLODGETT RICH KLEIMAN STEPHANIE LYNCH NICHOLAS SILVERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL BLODGETT LAURENCE BROWN TARA DEVEAUX DUANE FIEDLER JOSH GREENBERG RICH KLEIMAN NINA LESAVOY JONATHAN MAROTTA
ANDREW NATHAN MARK PATRICOF RICHARD ROBERTS ALAN SCHRAGER TED SMITH LANCE THOMAS TY WALLACH VICKI ZUBOVIC
Opportunity is a game changer. But in New York City, the playing field is not level for all young people and opportunities are not distributed equally. New Heights believes everyone deserves a shot at success, regardless of where they come from. With your help, we turn that belief into action and each year help hundreds of boys and girls get in the game – and learn how to win in the game of life. Why basketball? Today, youth in New York City play basketball more than any other sport. For many of them – especially those who live in underserved communities – the game is more than an afterschool pastime. It is a pathway to opportunities that can open doors throughout their lives. New Heights makes sure that the shine of the court does not overshadow the classroom, and that student-athletes also develop the skills needed to graduate from high school, go to college and achieve success off the court as adults. We teach them that report cards are just as important as score cards and motivate them to study just as hard as they play. Tonight, at the third annual GameChangers Ball, we celebrate the power of basketball to open doors to valuable educational and career opportunities for student-athletes in New York City. Since 2005, New Heights has inspired hundreds of boys and girls to rise to their potential and turn their dreams into reality – with a 100% graduation rate, 98% college matriculation rate and over 75% college matriculation rate. But we could not do it alone. On behalf of the entire New Heights family, thank you for being a champion of our efforts to prepare New York City’s youth for college, careers and leadership roles throughout their lives. In appreciation,
Ted Smith Executive Director
NEW HEIGHTS’ MISSION NEW HEIGHTS IS A 501(C)3 EDUCATIONAL NON-PROFIT BASED IN NEW YORK CITY. OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER PROMISING INNER-CITY YOUTH TO BE LEADERS, CHAMPIONS AND STUDENT-ATHLETES BY DEVELOPING THE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS IN HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND LIFE.
VISION ALL YOUNG ATHLETES WILL HAVE THE VALUES AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO BECOME LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND SUCCEED IN LIFE BEYOND SPORTS.
TARGET NYC YOUTH AGES 9-21 FROM SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR BASKETBALL.
IMPACT FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS, WE’VE MAINTAINED A 100% HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE FOR OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES, A 98% COLLEGE MATRICULATION RATE AND AN OVER 75% COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE.
VALUE NEW HEIGHTS HAS HELPED SECURE OVER $58 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID FOR OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES.
DINNER PROGRAM WELCOME JAY WILLIAMS, HOST
ESPN HOST, NBA ANALYST 2001 DUKE NATIONAL CHAMPION BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
TED SMITH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW HEIGHTS
RICH KLEIMAN
CO-FOUNDER, THIRTY FIVE VENTURES GAMECHANGERS BALL CO-CHAIR
DIAMOND FIELDS, NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2025 RAYMOND PAUL, NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2026 DUANE FIEDLER
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW NEW HEIGHTS BOARD MEMBER
JAMIE MCDONALD
TRAVEL TV HOST AND AUCTIONEER
AWARDS PRESENTATION ROBYN PRETLOW, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, MUNDO VERDE BILINGUAL PCS ALANA JONES, NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2020 MIKE NZEI, NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2014 GAMECHANGERS ALUMNI AWARD ROSHARD BRYANT, NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2009 GAMECHANGERS LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE AWARDS MICHELE ROBERTS, NATIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION JUSTIN TUCK, GOLDMAN SACHS
THE
HONOREES
ROSHARD BRYANT NEW HEIGHTS CLASS OF 2009 AMHERST COLLEGE CLASS OF 2014 GAMECHANGERS ALUMNI AWARD Roshard Bryant was a true student-athlete, excelling on and off the court. Born and raised in the Bronx, his parents were eager to prepare him for a life of leadership and service. Before joining New Heights in 2006, Roshard bounced between schools in search of a quality education. With support from New Heights, he received a full scholarship to attend Suffield Academy in Connecticut – a school that changed his life and left a lasting impact. From Suffield Academy, Roshard went on to Amherst College where he continued to thrive as both a student and an athlete. His sophomore year ended up being a game changing one in his life. After suffering tears in his patellar tendon that forced him to take a semester-long leave of absence from school, his hopes of playing professional basketball seemed even further from reach. But Roshard chose to dedicate his time to studying education and serving his community. During his leave of absence, Roshard interned at New Heights, focusing on our educational programming, and later served as the Summer Academy Director for two summers. He also studied abroad in Chile and Argentina before graduating summa cum laude from Amherst with a degree in Education and Black Studies. After having studied the intersectionality of education and community engagement, Roshard returned to New York to begin his career in public service. He has served the City as a Fellow at the Department of Small Business Services, as a Pastor and Coordinator at a network of local churches. These experiences, highlighted by his time at New Heights, have helped prepare Roshard for his current leadership role as a second grade teacher at Success Academy-Prospect Heights in Brooklyn where he works alongside his wife. We are proud to recognize Roshard with the GameChangers Alumni Award. He is a shining example of a New Heights alum who is changing the game for the next generation.
MICHELE A. ROBERTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION GAMECHANGERS LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE AWARD Notably, Michele Roberts is the first woman to head a major professional sports union in North America. In her role as Executive Director, Ms. Roberts serves as the primary advocate for all players, ensuring the protection of the organization and its membership, including serving as the lead negotiator in all collective bargaining activities. Prior to this selection, Ms. Roberts was a renowned trial lawyer and member of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s Litigation Group. Ms. Roberts is a frequent lecturer and presenter to both the bench and bar on a variety of topics related to litigation and trial practice. Ms. Roberts has directed valuable resources – financial support, in-kind donations and her time and expertise – toward our College Bound program, and contributed to the success of New Heights’ Women’s Leadership Breakfast last year by hosting the event for our female student-athlete community. It is with deep appreciation that we present her with the Leadership and Service Award.
JUSTIN TUCK VICE PRESIDENT, GOLDMAN SACHS GAMECHANGERS LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE AWARD Justin Tuck, a celebrated athlete and committed philanthropist, recently graduated from Wharton with an MBA, and is now bringing his legendary drive, focus and record of achievement to the financial services industry. After graduating from Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business in 2005, Tuck was drafted as a Defensive End to the New York Giants. Over the course of his 11-year NFL career, Tuck helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl victories, was selected for two Pro Bowls, and was elected team Captain for six consecutive years. Among his many honors and awards during his time in the NFL, Tuck was named the Giants Man of the Year (2011), voted one of the NFL’s Top 100 Players (2012), and was nominated for the NFLPA Byron “Whizzer” White Man of the Year Award (2016). Tuck is a dedicated and impactful philanthropist, successfully leveraging his public image to launch educational platforms and literacy initiatives that close the opportunity gap for low-income youth. Among his high-profile contributions, he established, with his wife, Lauran, Tuck’s R.U.S.H. for Literacy, a foundation focused on using education, literacy and financial literacy initiatives to encourage lowincome youth to “Read, Understand, Succeed and Hope.” The foundation has raised over $3 million and donated 97,000 books, reaching 16,000 students across seven sponsored schools in NY, NJ, CA and AL, earning a spot as the only athlete-founded organization at the 2016 Clinton Global Initiative. Tuck’s philanthropic work has earned him prestigious honors and awards, including the Jefferson Foundation Award, the Nicholas Scoppetta Child Welfare Award, the Harvey G. Foster Award, and the HELP USA Humanitarian Award. He also authored an autobiographical children’s book, Home Field Advantage. Tuck received his MBA from Wharton in 2018, where he developed financial, strategic and operational expertise, and has joined Goldman Sachs as a Vice President in the Private Wealth Management division. There, he secures, develops, and manages relationships with high-net-worth individuals, their families, family offices and foundations, using targeted investment management strategies to preserve and grow their wealth. Tuck, a devoted husband and father, resides in New Jersey. He and Lauran, a philanthropic leader and member of the Fort Lee Board of Education, have two sons, Jayce and Jonah. It is with deep appreciation that we present him with the Leadership and Service Award.
YOU ARE A GA
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE 3 EVERYONE IN THE ROOM TONIGHT IS CHAN NEW YORK CITY, AND HELPING NEW HEIGHTS TO REALIZE THEIR LIMITLESS POTENTIAL AND B
AMECHANGER.
3RD ANNUAL GAMECHANGERS BALL. NGING THE GAME FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES IN S TEACH, TRAIN AND INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME LEADERS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.
2472 Broadway, PMB 112 New York, New York 10025 (212) 426-HOOP www.newheightsnyc.org @NewHeightsNYC