NYC Nonprofit Executive Writes Book About Mentoring a CFS Student

"We were different, but I learned we had things in common.” 
This excerpt from a new book by Dr. Rahsaan Harris, CEO of the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, is based on an essay Church Farm School 11th grader Zion Baldwin wrote in 8th grade about his relationship with Rahsaan—his mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City (BBBSNYC) since he was eight-years-old. Rahsaan wrote “Me & My Big Brother” in the hopes that others could learn what a powerful role mentoring plays, particularly for underserved youth such as Zion, who grew up in a single-parent family in the South Bronx. “Since I didn’t have a male role model in my home, I found it difficult to relate to my friends and their experiences with their dads,” Zion says. His mother thought he would benefit from the BBBSNYC program, and signed him up. At the same time, Rahsaan, who grew up in nearby Piscataway, New Jersey, was looking for a way to give back. Having decided with his wife to put having children on hold for a bit, he thought becoming a “Big” might be the next best thing. A lifelong friendship was born.

Zion says the essay on which his book is based was actually his application essay for private school, an application that eventually led to his acceptance at Church Farm School as a ninth grader in 2013 and, ironically, ended his “official” Big Brother/Little Brother relationship with Rahsaan, since he is now considered a resident of Exton where Church Farm School, a boarding and day school for boys, is located. The distance hasn’t stopped the duo from forming a tight bond and connecting multiple times a year, whether Rahsaan stops by the Church Farm School campus when he’s in the area (he resides in Harlem); chatting via phone and text; and, of course, getting together when Zion returns home to the South Bronx. “I always saw my commitment to BBBSNYC as a lifetime commitment,” Rahsaan says. “Zion is a part of my family.”

Rahsaan, the son of an educator and a politician, grew up in a comfortable middle class household. He attended public school in New Jersey, was active in his family’s church and watched his father’s strength at organizing their community around issues of race. Through the advice of his own high school mentor—his track coach—Rahsaan ended up applying to Princeton University, where he majored in ecology and evolutionary biology (he also holds Master’s degrees in nonprofit management and high school science education from New York University and Columbia Teachers College, respectively, plus earned his doctorate in Public and Urban Policy from the New School). He did a stint in the Peace Corps before becoming a teacher in New York City public schools, which ultimately led him to philanthropy. As the CEO of the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, Rahsaan oversees its program to diversify media by partnering with leading companies such as Comcast, NBC Universal, Arris (Technology) and FleishmanHillard (public relations) to offer paid internships and opportunities to college students of color beginning the summer before their freshman year. The Foundation currently has more than 200 students working in companies across the country.

Rahsaan has shared many of his passions with Zion over the years—especially for track, which Zion now enjoys at Church Farm School. Three years ago, he started a college fund for Zion, and over the recent Christmas break, they worked on a spreadsheet of potential schools that might suit Zion’s interest in computer programming. “Rahsaan always inspires me to do my best at everything … and to go the extra mile if I don’t understand something,” he says. This wisdom has helped Zion greatly at Church Farm School, which has very challenging academics. “I was struggling a lot early on, but now I feel like I’m getting used to my classes,” he says. He’s also wisely focusing especially hard on the courses he needs to do well in order to pursue his passion of being a game developer, such as Pre-Calculus. Zion thanks his teacher, Mr. Chris Gramlich, for working hard with him to succeed in this class. This summer, he participates in the All-Star Code Program, a prep program connecting young men of color to the tech industry. He hopes to pursue internship with Rahsaan’s Foundation once he is in college.

Zion’s experience with Rahsaan has led to his own recent realization that he, too, hopes to be a mentor. Someday. “Recently, I just started thinking about everything he’s done for me and how he’s impacted my life. I wouldn’t be in these circumstances without him,” Zion says. The impact is mutual, Rahsaan says. “Zion reminds me how important it is to slow down and be present. And when I hear him repeat things I say verbatim, I realize, it truly matters what I say.” “Me & My Big Brother” is an effort to let others see how they can impact or be impacted through mentoring. Learn more about the book here.