Valerie Irick Rainford Scholarships awarded to St. Catharine students
In August 2018 Valerie Irick
Rainford, a 1982 alumna
of St. Catharine Academy, approached
SCA president Sr.
Patricia Wolf with an idea for
a writing competition for juniors
and seniors to offset tuition.
She envisioned the competition
would be based on her
memoir, global best-selling
book, Until the Brighter Tomorrow,
One Woman’s Courageous
Climb from the Projects to the
Podium. Students were asked
to submit a minimum 1,000
word essay describing their
own experiences of resilience
and courage. “I have a story
to tell,” said Rainford, “and I
want to help others tell their
story. At SCA I saw that there
was life beyond the projects. I
want to inspire people to get beyond
their circumstances.”
On November 30, her vision
became reality when,
Monsignor Scanlan High
School announced that it has
been selected for the Amazon
Future Engineer Pathway
STEM Program in Partnership
with Edhesive.
The STEM (Science Technology
Engineering and
Math) program is being
launched in the 2018-2019 ac-
at a school assembly, she announced
the winners of the
Valerie Irick Rainford Scholarships:
First Place: Junior
Priscilla Assifuah was
awarded a $1,000 scholarship
and tied for 2nd place: Seniors
Natalie Cantatore and Alene
Ortiz were awarded $500
scholarships.
To one scholarship recipient,
Rainford said, “Sometimes
all that one needs is to
know that someone believes
in them. You have earned my
respect. Make them call you
by your name. Don’t go by any
other name. Don’t let the behavior
of others dictate who
you will become. You are doing
so well at that now, keep
your head up.”
After graduating from SCA
in 1982, Rainford went on from
SCA to earn a B.A. in economics
from Fordham University.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 32 ECEMBER 21-27, 2018 BTR
She is a Financial Services
executive, and for over
10 years, Valerie has served in
a number of executive capacities
within JPMorgan Chase.
She currently is the head of
JP Morgan Chase’s industryleading
Diversity Advancement
Strategies &Advancing
Black Leaders Strategy. She
is also a member of the Executive
Leadership Council, the
leading global organization of
senior African-Americans in
business, focused on building
a pipeline of future black executives.
She is the creator of
a global girl’s initiative, ‘I Will
Reign,’ and is co-founder and
board Chair of Black Women
of Infl uence, a networking and
development organization created
in memory of her mother.
As an author, she was a fi -
nalist of the Benjamin Franklin
Book Award ‘Best New Voice
(L-r) Priscilla Assifuah, Valerie Irick Rainford, Alene Ortiz, and Natalie
Cantatore.
Nonfi ction’ Independent Book
Publisher Association, and the
book is also the namesake for
Girl Scouts badge, ‘Until the
Brighter Tomorrow,’ created in
Valerie’s honor. To learn more
about Valerie’s programs, visit
www.valerierainford.com.
Monsignor Scanlan H.S. selected for Amazon STEM program
ademic year in partnership
with Amazon and Edhesive
and helps students develop
a foundational understanding
in core computer science
and programming concepts.
Only a fraction of students
are learning computer science,
and fewer study it today
than a decade ago. This
full-year course is designed
to inspire students in computer
science and develop
their understanding of how
technology and computer science
can impact and shape
our world.
The courses that are being
offered in the 2018-2019
academic year are: Introduction
to Computer Coding and
Advanced Placement (AP)
Computer Science.
“We are thrilled to offer
this new STEM program,
which will prepare students
for a rapidly changing technological
world,” said Jennifer
Tulipano, Monsignor
Scanlan High School Science
chairperson..
“Whatever fi eld our students
choose to go into as
adults, their ability to succeed
will increasingly hinge
upon understanding how
technology works, in addition
to their ability to problem
solve, reason, and think
creatively,” added Tulipano.
BY GUILLERMO FLORES
December is a refl ective
month for me. I take a look
back at my successes, failures,
experiences and opportunities.
As a Bronx-based
tobacco control advocate with
NYC Smoke-Free, I work on
efforts to increase smoke-free
protections for Bronxites in
both housing and outdoors.
Over the years I have seen
so much progress in our borough:
two outdoor air policies
with community organizations,
a spike of over 300
smoke-free housing units,
and most visibly, this summer,
when NYC Housing Authority
implemented their
HUD-mandated Smoke-Free
Housing Policy.
Amazing partners like the
Throggs Neck Community
Partnership and the Forward
South Bronx Coalition allow
us to continue this work and
increase tobacco-free norms
to reduce health disparities.
While these tobacco control
wins make me very proud,
the tobacco epidemic is far
from over.
The truth is: tobacco remains
the #1 cause of premature,
preventable death
for New Yorkers. Over 28,000
New Yorkers, 12,000 from New
York City alone, continue to
die every year from tobacco.
To make matters worse, each
year in the US over 38,000
people die from secondhand
smoke exposure. More than
one-third of adult non-smoking
New Yorkers are exposed
to secondhand smoke. Tobacco
doesn’t just cost us a lot
of lives, but it also costs us a
lot of money. New York State
spends more than $10 billion
each year, caring for people
made sick from smoking. But
there is good news – we know
what works.
Comprehensive tobacco
control programs like NYC
Smoke-Free at Public Health
Solutions, saves lives and
money. As an Advancing
Tobacco-Free Communities
partner under the NYS Department
of Health Tobacco
Control Program, we play
a crucial role in saving the
lives of New Yorkers and preventing
chronic conditions
such as heart disease, cancer,
and respiratory illness.
In the New Year, NYC
Smoke-free will continue our
work with partners like the
Throggs Neck Community
Action Partnership and continue
to chip away at the tobacco
epidemic plaguing our
communities.
(Guillermo Flores is a community
engagement manager
for Public Health Solutions’
NYC Smoke-Free Program,
where he works to end the devastating
tobacco epidemic and
protect the health of all New
Yorkers through advocacy and
education.)
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The Post Ugly Sweater
Christmas Party was a
shinning success, thanks to
all that put it together and
all that attended. Thanks to
Commander Del Debio for
putting the Bronx County
Christmas celebration together
on Saturday, as his
side sergeant-at-arms Bobby
making sure it ran without
a hitch, well done.
Keep this next item on
your calendar: the Bronx Kiwanis
Club will be hosting a
Thank You Veterans Christmas
Dinner at the Post on Friday,
December 28 at 5 p.m., no
charge, come one come all.
Post 620 wishes a Merry
Christmas and a happy
and healthy New Year to
all fellow Legionaries and
their families. Keep in your
thoughts and prayers our
troops overseas and those
serving away from their
families and friends this holiday
season. We are stronger
as one, let’s work together.
God bless America.
/www.valerierainford.com