Chappaqua Resident Being Honored at YPIE Annual Gala

CHAPPAQUA, NY — Long-time Chappaqua tutor and resident Jeffrey Gittleman is being honored by the non-profit Yonkers Partners in Education at their 9th annual Gala Sept. 29.

For the past three years, Gittleman has led a Saturday morning program in which Horace Greeley (and surrounding high school) juniors and seniors have helped hundreds of Yonkers juniors and seniors prepare for their SAT and ACT tests, YPIE officials said. He has also run other college readiness programs at Yonkers Middle High School, one of the eight public high schools in the district.

He and many other Chappaqua residents volunteer their time for YPIE on a regular basis helping and mentoring Yonkers students in pursuit of a successful post-high school experience. In fact, YPIE officials said, Chappaqua resident and college essay-writing specialist Jack Brandon led a program this past summer with 20 adult volunteers (many from Chappaqua) who helped 40 Yonkers rising seniors write personal statements for their upcoming college applications.

YPIE Executive Director Wendy Nadel spoke about why the organization is honoring Gittleman this year:

“Jeff came to YPIE several years ago with the goal of bringing his time, passion and skills to low-income students in Yonkers who need this support in order to achieve their dream of a college education," Nadel said in a press release. "Jeff’s work with YPIE stunningly shines light on the educational inequity that exists in low-income communities like Yonkers and has truly made a difference for many young people.”

YPIE partners with the Yonkers Public School District, business and philanthropic organizations and higher education institutions in its dedication to increasing the number of Yonkers Public School students who complete a post-secondary program that prepares them for a successful career. YPIE’s various programs help more than 600 students annually, officials said.

For one of those students, Fatos Karadeniz, who has just started her studies in Applied Mathematics at Yale University, the support she received from Gittleman, Brandon, Greeley students and other YPIE volunteers and staff made all the difference. Fatos put it this way for the press release: “As the first in my family to attend college, I had no exposure to the application process so everything was very new and, at times, overwhelming. However, with the help of YPIE's volunteers, I felt confident and prepared in my applications, essays, and interviews. I couldn’t have made it without them!”

The YPIE 9th Annual Gala will be held on Sept. 29 at X2O in Yonkers. All proceeds from the event directly fund YPIE’s programs. To make donations, become a YPIE volunteer or attend the gala see ypie.org or contact Anna Birrittella at gala@ypie.org or at 914-377- 4882.

PHOTO/ YPIE