Nahjee Cook
"Whether it's a school issue, domestic issue, or just a small issue, I can rely on the Club to be there for me. It assists me in more ways than I could have imagined."
- Nahjee Cook, 2006 Far Rockaway Youth of the Year
When Nahjee Cook moved from Bedford Stuyvesant to Far Rockaway three years ago, she faced a major adjustment in her life. She was starting at a new school, didn't know anyone, and lacked a connection to the community. But thanks to Boys & Girls Clubs, Najhee wasn't a stranger for very long.
The Club gave her a place to feel safe, meet friends, and put down roots. Talk to her now and it's hard to imagine a time when she wasn't right at home in Far Rockaway. Some of the activities she's most proud of include community service projects like helping clean up the local beach. At school, she's on the tennis and volleyball teams. And she's a regular fixture at the Clubhouse, where she volunteers to help younger members with computers and homework.
The influence of the Club staff on Nahjee – a self-possessed, positive and poised 15 year old – is palpable. She calls staffer Catherine Molyneaux her "mentor in life" and program director DeShawn Mason her "father figure," which makes "an enormous difference" because her real dad has been absent for many years. "I'm not one of those teens who brush off what older people say. I try to listen to everything, take it in as much as I can, and store it."
With the encouragement of Club staff, Nahjee is on her way to achieving her dreams of becoming a child psychologist or a lawyer. She says the thought of holding those titles gives her a "rush" and she looks forward to the day when she's a success and can say: "I give to others what Madison Square Boys & Girls Club gave to me."