by Shemar Forbes, YPIE Scholar 2025
During my time at Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE), I have had many good times, but some of the best moments I have experienced involved working with my graduation coach, Cedony Allen, and my essay coach, Dorothy Clarke, both of whom have guided me on the road to college success.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Cedony since the 9th grade. Over the years, she has helped me with my homework and classwork assignments and prepared me for the SATs and other standardized exams, enabling me to reach my full potential as a student.
While I appreciate her academic support, what I value most about our relationship is our hour-long talks over the phone and video call, as she always exposes me to various ideas and opinions as well as giving me a deeper understanding of topics and issues that I might have otherwise taken for granted. My experience working with Cedony has been nothing short of incredible.
My relationship with Dorothy started about a year ago, but even so, we have grown remarkably close. Under her guidance, my reading and writing skills have improved tremendously.
Moreover, she has given me the confidence to join YPIE’s student-based newsletter, the QuaranTimes, where I am currently the Layout Editor and Director of Communications.
Not only has she helped me with my writing, but she has also introduced me to a plethora of novels, including Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Book of the Lion by Michael Cadnum, all of which sparked my interest in reading books and other forms of literature.
I can doubtlessly say that having both Cedony and Dorothy as YPIE coaches has had a significant positive impact on my life, and they have played a big role in shaping me into the person I am today.
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