Share Your Story With Us

Ashleigh Awusie

My fondest memories of the Harbor are starting class at 9 a.m. on a Saturday and running between dance and acting classes, then changing in the elevator when I was running late to head to play rehearsals. The Harbor is where I learned the discipline and skill set to pursue my dreams and conquer obstacles. It's where I did my first pirouette, wrote my first sketch, did my first musical, where I first learned how to Salsa, and where I got my first nickname.

Ismael Quiles

I was a 17-year-old kid in 1980 who moved from Puerto Rico. I wanted to learn to play the trombone. I tried many different private teachers, and then a friend told me about the Harbor. The first time I entered the building, I heard the sounds of horns, Latin percussion, and acoustic pianos. I found the paradise of music! studied with Frank Rosa, a great trombone teacher for about three years, and my lessons paid off.

Latisha Forster Scott

My name is Latisha Forster Scott, and I am an alumn of Boys & Girls Harbor. I first attended Boys Harbor Camp when I was 7 years old — back in the '70s. I attended every summer until I was too old to be a camper. When I was 16, I started working as a counselor, and I also worked for the Harbor Adventure program for many years. Later, I served as a group leader for the Lonnie Williams Travel Initiative, which took me to Ghana, where I lived and worked for two months. The Harbor has been a part of my life for over 30 years and has meant so much to me for many reasons. It was a place where I had many firsts: my first overnight sail, my first overnight camping trip, my first American Red Cross swimming test.

MONIQUE BARKLEY

My name is Monique Barkley, and I am an alumni of the Harbor Junior High School for the Performing Arts and of the Harbor. I graduated in the class of 1979. My best memory of both institutions was the daily sense of family that was felt among the faculty and students. Throughout all of my years growing up and moving onto a successful career at IBM, my memories of the Harbor remain constant and vivid in my mind. Many of my strongest competencies come from the discipline I learned at the Harbor.

Tanya Robinson

I was introduced to the Harbor by a close family friend whose own family was already a fixture there (the Gowans). I was 9 years old when I began attending the city program, but I longed for the opportunity to attend the Harbor’s famous sleep-away camp. When the time came, I was in the first group of girls allowed to stay at the sprawling property in East Hampton, Long Island.

Curtis Johnson

My name is Curtis Johnson, better known as Kofi. I first attended the Harbor camp in 1966. It was my first time away from home. Needless to say, I was homesick. After the first week, I became more familiar with my surroundings and began to embrace camping life. The friends I made during that first two weeks are still my friends today. One of my fondest memories was going to the beach every Wednesday and Sunday. One time, when Tony was there with his dune buggy, he let me drive it on the beach. Let me tell you, for a 10-year-old from Harlem who had never been away from home, it was the thrill of a lifetime. There are no words that can express the gratitude I feel for Tony and his cast of counselors who helped a young boy taste his first morsels of manhood. I still tell everyone I meet how going to camp that year changed my life forever.

Kevin Lloyd

My name is Kevin Lloyd. I am a native of East Harlem and an alumni of the Harbor's Upward Bound program. Upward Bound allowed me to see life from a different perspective. Our trips to various colleges during the summer allowed me to gain a real experience of college life. In addition, attending the Harbor camp on Long Island gave me an opportunity to form an unbreakable bond with my peers. Those summers on the camp allowed us to become more than friends; we became family.

Marcus Martin

The Harbor is where I got my start in dance. I remember being the new kid in class and not knowing anyone. By the time class finished, I had made many friends. People made fun of me and my interest in the performing arts, but by coming to the Harbor, I had the chance to get away from all that. I considered the Harbor my second home. I have so many memories of Footworks dance recitals, sitting in on the Gestures Ensemble rehearsals between classes, performing in the 20th anniversary Gestures Ensemble performance, and all of the great teachers I had.

Ryan Weber

My experience at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts provided me with the tools to build a career of endless possibilities. Professionally, the music program — under the direction of Dr. Martin Soderberg — offered an unmatched comprehensive education. The level of instruction allowed me to develop the artistry necessary to perform nationally and internationally, eventually leading to the completion of my own doctorate in music.

Victor Rendón

My name is Victor Rendón. I came to New York City from Texas in the summer of 1980 after graduating from college with a bachelor's in music. My dream was to play with the best Latin musicians in the city. At the time, I lacked the knowledge and experience in that particular style of music. After playing with a few bands in the city for almost a year, someone recommended that I go to Boy’s & Girls Harbor.