When asked how she wanted to her celebrate 35th birthday, former Brooklyn teacher, Chevonne Hall didn't just want to have a typical party. Instead, she thought, “why not combine her two loves: beautiful music and her former middle school students.
“Their success beyond my class was important,” said Hall. When working with students in the Clinton Hill and Flatbush communities, she helped to secure more than $600,000 in high school scholarship offers. Within five years of entering middle school education, 95% of Hall’s students were attending some of the best high schools in the country.
Fast forward to 2012.
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Those eighth graders are now attending or applying to the nation’s best colleges and universities. According to Hall, “their challenge is not college readiness and access but rather resources to continue their studies.”
Understanding that many scholarships are geared towards incoming freshman, there is minimal support and resources for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. When learning that many of her students were sharing books or having to reduce their full time course load to part time due to a lack of funding, once again, Chevonne knew she had to do something.
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With that in mind, BEAUTIFUL MUSIC and a BIRTHDAY 2012 was created. BMB2012, a Cabaret-style fundraiser held on March 17 at Brooklyn’s Social Butterfly will feature live performances by Kyle Shedrick, Sheldon-Ray, D.Malone and others.
All proceeds from the event will provide book awards for Hall’s former students who are college bound, or enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs. The goal is provide five (5) book awards for students in each of the following categories: (1) college bound 12th grader,(1) first year college student, (1) second year college student, (1) third year college student, (1) a college senior and a (1) student pursuing full or part time graduate studies. In the past decade, "Ms. Hall's students" have attended: The Taft School (CT), Poly Prep Country Day School (NY), Little Red School House/Elizabeth Irwin High School (NY), the Professional Performing Arts School-PPAS (NY), Bedford Academy (NY), Benjamin Banneker Academy (NY), Packer Collegiate Institute (NY), Spelman College (GA), Howard University (DC), and Cornell University (NY) just to name a few. For tickets, more information and ways to support this endeavor, please visit:www.beautifulmusic2012.com
