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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Senior at Sunset Park High School from Center of Family Life after school program
5:05:48
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125 sec
A senior at Sunset Park High School testifies about the importance of after-school programs for high school students, sharing his personal experience with the Center of Family Life program. He urges the City Council to invest in after-school programs for high school students, emphasizing their crucial role in personal development and future career aspirations.
- He joined the Center of Family Life after-school program in his senior year, which helped him overcome shyness and explore his interests in filmmaking and theater.
- He credits the program with giving him confidence to pursue his interests as a career, leading to his acceptance at Brooklyn College for filmmaking and theater.
- He emphasizes that high school is not the end but the beginning, and quality after-school programs are essential for students to identify their passions and future goals.
Student
5:05:48
Okay.
5:05:51
I thank Chair Steven and the City Council for your support towards children and youth across New York City.
5:05:56
My name is Jay Young Coller, and I am currently a senior at Sunset Park High School, where I joined the Center of Family Life after school program for the first time this year.
5:06:06
I am calling on the city to invent an after school for high school students, a population that deserves quality programs at a crucial point in their lives.
5:06:16
During my freshman to junior year, fresh high school, I was shy and hesitant to even step foot in the cafeteria after the school day ended.
5:06:24
When my senior year came, I realized that time was limited for me and I wanted to make my last year count.
5:06:31
After meeting one of the CFL staff during the school day in my advisory, I decided to join D.
5:06:37
The Troupe and and and I never looked back after that.
5:06:41
As an active filmmaker, animated writer, and a full time student who was also applying to college, I had plenty of hobbies that I could do independently in my free time as a senior in high school.
5:06:54
The temptation to enjoy my lovely time at home is always there, but being in an after school environment pushes me to pursue those same interests while forming connection with my peers and getting the support of staff who are knowledgeable and dedicated to helping students like me achieve our goals.
5:07:11
Past 3PM is the time when students really identify who they are and what they want to do in the future.
5:07:17
Without the dedicated time and support I was given to explore these interests, I may not have the confidence to pursue them as a career.
5:07:24
I am proud to share that in the fall, I plan to attend Brooklyn College for filmmaking and theater, and I am appreciative of the CFO staff who have invested in me during this journey.
5:07:36
I urge you to not forget about high school students when making decisions about after school funding.
5:07:41
High school isn't the end, it's the beginning.
5:07:43
Students like me, students like like me not only deserve quality programs, we need them even if we don't realize it until our senior year.
5:07:52
Thank you.