BHS Student Receives Scholarship For Commitment To Helping Others

BHS Junior Jezabella Fernandez, received a $5,000 Communities United For Police Reform (CPR) scholarship from the New York Dominican Officers Organization on Friday at their Annual Scholarship Dinner.

NYDO was founded by officers of Dominican descent who recognized the need for greater representation of their cultural values and commitment to the community. Beyond recruitment and mentorship, the organization also strives to enlighten the community and serve as a positive role model for the youth.

Fernandez’s dad, Jason, was a detective in the Bronx in the Violent Crime Squad and a longstanding member of the organization and passed away in March from ALS. 

Fernandez received the award for her commitment to helping others and to honor her father. 

“They chose me for my dedication to my academics and my resilience in supporting my family through a very hard time in our lives. I also want to follow in my dad’s footsteps by helping others. I want to be a defense attorney. My dad always talked to me about his cases, and I was always interested. I don’t like that people get treated unfairly, and I am passionate about helping people and making sure people are heard.”

Fernandez is a student member of the Putnam County Youth Court in Carmel-a crime intervention program committed to reducing recidivism in juveniles. 

Fernandez is a member of both the Varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Cheer teams, as well as a member of the English Honors Society. She also writes for the school newspaper and volunteers in the pre-K classroom where her little brother is a student.

“I have three younger siblings in the district. My sister is an eighth grader at Wells, I have a brother in first grade at JFK, and my youngest brother is in the pre-K program at Brewster High School. I am a volunteer in his classroom, which I love. He is always so excited to see me. I help the students get off the bus in the mornings, work with them on classroom activities, and help them get into their cots at naptime.”

Fernandez will use the scholarship money for college–it is her dream to go to Florida for the weather and the academics.