“I was born and raised in Jackson Heights for 11 years before I had to move out. Since then, I'd been longing for an opportunity to come back home. Then I came across QCH's Beacon Community Center at PS 149Q.
"Having grown up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania, I never thought the sense of community that defined my upbringing could be replicated in a city like New York.
"I’m a 5th generation Forest Hills resident and Chair of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, which takes great pride in documenting the neighborhood’s architectural and cultural history.
"I just completed my freshman year at the High School for Arts & Business. During the early part of the school year, I kept hearing great things about the impact of QCH’s Access for Young Women program on adolescents and young adults, so I decided to join.
In our Community Matters newsletter for July, we highlight the children from our summer program rallying to end gun violence, our outdoor screening of Marvel's Wakanda Forever, QCH's Summer Youth Employment Program Career Panels,