BREWSTER – Jezabella Fernandez is a special and unique young woman.
Despite losing her father in March to ALS, the 17-year-old junior at Brewster High School continued her studies while supporting her family during what she described as “a very hard time in our lives.”
Jezabella has received a $5,000 Communities United for Police Reform scholarship from the New York Dominican Officers Organization—a group founded by officers of Dominican descent who recognized the need for greater representation of their cultural values and commitment to the community.
Beyond recruitment and mentorship, the organization also strives to enlighten the community and serve as a positive role model for the youth.
Fernandez’s dad, Jason, was a detective in the Bronx in the Violent Crime Squad and a longstanding member of the organization prior to his death.
His daughter received the award for her commitment to helping others and to honor her father.
On Tuesday, Jezabella said she intends to “follow in my dad’s footsteps by helping others. I want to be a defense attorney. My dad always talked to me about his cases, and I was always interested. I don’t like that people get treated unfairly, and I am passionate about helping people and making sure people are heard.”
Fernandez is a member of the Putnam County Youth Court, a crime intervention program committed to reducing recidivism in juveniles.
In addition to participating in a variety of school activities such as the Varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Cheer teams and English Honors Society, Jezabella writes for the school newspaper and volunteers in a pre-K classroom where her brother is a student. “I have three younger siblings in the district. My sister is an eighth grader. I have a brother in first grade, and my youngest brother is in the pre-K program. I help the students get off the bus in the mornings, work with them on classroom activities, and help them get into their cots at naptime.”
Fernandez intends to use the scholarship money for college. Her dream is to attend school in Florida for the weather and the academics.
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