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A Portrait of an Urban Fellow



The Experience: At 10 years old, just arrived in America, I had to learn the bus system alone. My dad took me once on day one. Day two? I was on my own.

25 minutes from Irvington to school. Overcrowded public buses. Adults going to work, people who were homeless, people on drugs. Smells I'd never experienced. At first, I was terrified.

But I figured it out. I learned which buses to avoid. I learned which times were safer. I learned to wait for the cleaner, less crowded option. I became the expert.

My middle sister didn't ride a bus until 6 years later when we went to the same high school. By then, I was her protector in my parents' eyes because I "knew the streets" and she didn't. I had been forced to learn what she was sheltered from.

The Strength This Built:

• Self-sufficiency: I learned to navigate complex systems alone as a child
• Risk assessment: I learned which buses, which times, and which routes were safer
• Resourcefulness: I found solutions (waiting for better buses) instead of just accepting bad situations
• Courage through fear: I became familiar with being afraid and learned I could get through it to the other side
• Protector mindset: I gained knowledge that helped me keep others safe
• Street awareness: I learned to always be alert, double-check precautions, and read environments

How did this prepare me to become an Urban Fellow? Kids from more affluent households have not had the opportunity to develop the strengths that now define me. They get driven to school. They don't learn to assess risk at 10 years old. They don't have to experience seeing fights break out in front of them and learning to quickly disappear from the scene. They don't become familiar with that fear or learn to move with it every day.

My experience isn't special or rare in Newark. This is the reality of children growing up in Newark, and this reality builds strength that a protected and well-provided childhood never could.

I didn't need Keys 2 Success to teach me independence or resourcefulness. I needed Keys 2 Success to give me a platform to use the strength I already had.

Day In The Life at Keys

Yesterday at Hyatt Court, I was teaching Marcus, a 7-year-old who was struggling. The classroom was hot, and he couldn't sit for more than 5 minutes. He kept getting up, staring out the window, and saying incredibly damaging things about himself, over and over. Things that felt normal to him but absolutely shouldn't be. I was at my wit's end, disturbed that a child this young could hate himself so much. I felt discouraged. I'm not a psychologist, and I didn't know how to reach him.

Ms. Krska saw what was happening, and she felt the same pain I did. She was determined to give Marcus a rest from all that suffering. To let him feel, even for a few minutes, what it's like to be in the spotlight. To be admired. To be approved of. To be the leader.

Ms. Krska remembered that Marcus loved the drums. So, she told the class, "If you finish practicing your 5-finger scales, you can go with Shayo to get the drums from the van."

She made me the incentive for Marcus!

Marcus' face lit up. He wanted to come with me to the van so badly that he quickly sat down at the piano and tried his best to learn the 5-finger scales. He tried again and again. He pushed through.

When we brought the drums out, Marcus was the best. His whole energy changed. He was truly happy, following my lead. Only hitting the drum when he was told to, not being a distraction. He shined.

But here's what surprised me: another student, Devon, who had been so good at piano, struggled with the drums. He felt scared to play the drum so that others could hear him.

Marcus instinctively turned and helped Devon, encouraging him. They had fun together.

In that moment, I realized: we all need each other.

Marcus taught Devon (and me) that encouragement matters more than skill. Ms. Krska taught Marcus that showing up and trying unlocks rewards, and I learned that we are all strong and gifted in our own way. We are all incentives for one another.

Keys performs at the Cathedral!

I wasn't able to be there in person, but watching the video and hearing all about it, I felt so inspired to share. The March 1st concert at the historic Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark looked absolutely incredible. Keys kicked off the afternoon with a beautiful pre-concert performance at 2:40pm, followed by a full concert by the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra.

Hearing all about the concert, I was genuinely moved by the turnout and support. The attendees, donors, and sponsors who showed up made it all possible, and it's a reminder of how powerful it is when a community comes together to make free, accessible orchestral music a reality.

▶️ Watch the performance here:

Rooted & Rising is Here!

This April, something extraordinary is happening right here in Newark — and we want you to be there for it.

For the first time in our ten-year history, Keys 2 Success is presenting a full month of world-class music education events in Newark. We're talking the New Jersey Symphony. The Discovery Orchestra. The Harlem Chamber Players. Coming to Newark. For our children. For our families. For our neighborhood.

This is not a field trip. You don't have to travel to Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall to experience music at the highest level. The world is coming to us — and that is exactly how it should be.

Come see what happens when world-class musicians sit down with Newark kids and make music together. Come be part of something we'll be talking about for years.

Rooted & Rising. April 2026. Newark, NJ. GET TICKETS NOW!

Questions? Contact us today (908) 883-0887, or through our website