ECYP’s Senior Spotlight
Over the course of the 2022-2023 school year, ECYP celebrated the class of 2023 monthly through spotlights on our social media page. Scroll the page to see photos and quotes from the fellows.
Audrey
"The ECYP program has taught me how to make friends with people from all kinds of backgrounds and how to work with them towards a common goal. I think this will help prepare me for the future because almost every job involves meeting and working with new people. ECYP has taught me how to do that while preserving my own voice when combining it with others."
Whisper
"ECYP has impacted my life in ways I cannot describe. ECYP has introduced me to new people and exposed me to things I have never seen or been around before in my life. These experiences will continue to stay with me after and I graduate and remind me that it's okay to get out of my comfort zone."
Glory
“ECYP has opened many doors for me. I have gotten the opportunity to meet new people, work on my networking skills, and more. I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and allowed myself to learn new things. ECYP has prepared me for challenges known and unknown. I expect public speaking, advocacy, and justice will continue to be big parts of my future. I am grateful for the different programs, cultures, and people ECYP has exposed me to.”
Shereen
"ECYP has impacted me by opening my eyes to issues that are often difficult to talk about. Learning from and about others with different backgrounds has helped me explore my own identity and motivates me to see where I can make a difference in my own community."
Lindsey
"ECYP has given me more confidence in my ability to explore the world on my own. I want to travel more, so I can continue to build important connections with people from other cultures and learn more about myself."
Kenneth
"ECYP has really helped me discover my identity and grow into myself. The group of people and experiences have really allowed me to explore my individuality, interests, and passions to grow with confidence."
Dare
"ECYP has taught me so much about others and myself. I have been exposed to other cultures and religions. In addition, I have learned how important my voice is and how I need to use it. ECYP has shown me that learning and gaining perspective by talking to others that live different yet similar lives is really important to open up one's mind. I am a more confident, open young woman because of ECYP."
Marquis
"ECYP has allowed me to gather and explore new experiences for myself such as traveling, leadership development, public speaking, and getting to know others on a deeper level. My ECYP experience has prepared me to discover and travel new places on my own. After ECYP, I will take the college route and expect to travel pretty far."
Seth
"ECYP has impacted my life in a great way. It showed me that people from all over the world are not so different than me and allowed me to see people beyond how society portrays them. This program has really changed my life by preparing me to be more professional and putting me in spaces I would not have otherwise been."
Kamron
"ECYP has become a significant part of my life since my acceptance into the program. It has helped me not only recognize and build upon the importance of community and service, but also connected me with a community other than my own through Elijah Cummings’ association with the Baltimore Jewish Community. In addition, ECYP has helped me develop important soft skills through leadership and service that I believe will be ideal for a successful future."
Ryen
"ECYP has made me a more open person. In Israel, I was exposed to a different culture. I learned new things, including Hebrew words and Jewish traditions like Shabbat. In Baltimore, I have been exposed to a new environment and explored issues facing the Black and Jewish communities. My experiences in the program have taught me to become comfortable with being uncomfortable because there is so much value in stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things."
Cassidy
“I am forever grateful for ECYP and the impact it has had on my life. Through the program, I’ve been able to interact with various groups of people from different backgrounds. From these interactions, I have been blessed to learn about cultures than my own. I have had difficult conversations with those different from me, respectfully hearing their points of view while also holding true to my own. I appreciate the way ECYP helped me value being in the moment. I will always cherish the relationships and experiences I made with my cohort.”
Grace
