The Ellenville Central School District congratulates two seniors, Henry Jones and Caleb Norat Roldan, who represented the District with distinction at the 2026 Annual Stand and Deliver Conference for the New York State My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Fellows Program, held February 12–13 in Albany.
The conference brought together 124 students recognized as New York State MBK Fellows. These young men, from across the State, all spent their senior year developing leadership skills and building service projects that benefited their schools and communities. As part of the yearlong program, the fellows participated in a Statewide "Master Mind" reading series, which entailed meeting weekly to discuss literature relevant to their development and their post-secondary plans.
Caleb led his debate team to a first-place victory before the New York State Board of Regents chancellor and State education leaders, arguing in favor of artificial intelligence (AI) as a beneficial resource to society. When asked about the value of AI in learning, Caleb reflected that it supports "learning capabilities and being able to help us get more creative with critical thinking skills."
Henry and Caleb also presented their joint service delivery project, a book club for Grade 2 students designed to, as Henry put it, "foster a love for reading and boost those grades."
Ellenville extends a heartfelt thank-you to MBK Mentors Noelia Santiago and John Paulsen and School & Community Engagement Coordinator Frank Mulhern, whose time and dedication were instrumental in guiding Henry and Caleb through this experience.
As Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. has said about the program's merits, "New York State My Brother's Keeper is more than a program—it's a movement that is changing lives by empowering young people to lead with purpose, and nurturing the next generation of changemakers dedicated to equity."
Congratulations, Henry and Caleb, for your leadership and your commitment to helping our community thrive.