Board of Regents Recognizes Winners of Vice Chancellor Emerita Adelaide L. Sanford Scholarships

The Board of Regents today recognized two outstanding New York State students receiving Vice Chancellor Emerita Adelaide L. Sanford Scholarships at the Board’s May meeting, Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced. The scholarship is named for Dr. Adelaide L. Sanford, the first African American and the first woman to serve as Vice Chancellor of the Board of Regents. Through Dr. Sanford’s generosity, the scholarships are awarded annually to exceptional My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows and graduating high school seniors from NYSED-recognized MBK communities. This year’s recipients are Anderly Burgos Terrero of Yonkers City School District and Matthew Worrell of Newburgh City School District.

“Through the achievements of our MBK Communities, we are opening opportunities for success to more students, amplifying their voices, and helping them to realize their full potential,” Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said. “These students are an inspiration to their communities. Anderly and Matthew are well-positioned to be the leaders we need today and represent the transformative spirit of the next generation in New York.”

“By being members of MBK communities, these students have discovered the power in committing to strengthen yourself and your community,” Commissioner Rosa said. “They are working to raise themselves up through dedication and hard work and are doing the same for others by serving as mentors. I congratulate them on this award and their bright futures.”

"Anderly and Matthew exemplify what our students can achieve," Vice Chancellor Emerita Adelaide L. Sanford said. "Their attainment of academic excellence, cultural competence, and community commitment indicates their future contributions to our next generation of leadership."

Dr. Sanford is the former Vice Chancellor of the Board of Regents and served on the Board for more than 20 years. She is also Honorary Co-Chair of the Work Group to Improve Outcomes for Boys and Young Men of Color, recognizing her unwavering leadership and ongoing meaningful contributions to this effort.

Scholarship funds can assist with tuition, fees, and books and will be awarded annually over four years while the student is enrolled in college.

Matthew Worrel is a graduating senior from Newburgh Free Academy Main in the Newburgh City School District. He is a My Brother’s Keeper Fellow, member of the National Honor Society and Black History Club, and Varsity track captain. Matthew is a first-generation American of Trinidadian and Jamaican descent and ranked in the top five percent of his class. During remote learning due to the pandemic, he formed virtual study groups to help himself and his classmates build on their learning together. Matthew plans to major in History at Villanova University in the fall and go to law school. He says that, as a member of MBK, he wants to carry on the legacy of taking care of his brother and to be a person who makes a positive difference in the world.

Anderly Burgos Terrero is a graduating senior at Roosevelt High School Early College Studies in the Yonkers City School District. She is a Student Body Senator, a Yonkers Unified Student Leadership Council member, and a Junior Achievement High School Hero. She earned the rank of number three in her class and participated in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) business and media program, earning college credits. Anderly and her family moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when she was 10 years old. During the pandemic, she served as a peer tutor, helping other students struggling mentally and emotionally. Anderly plans to attend New York University as an English education major with a minor in Spanish and Psychology. Her goal is to become a teacher and to inspire students to create their own stories.

Visit the Department’s My Brother’s Keeper website for details on this movement and information on how to subscribe to the MBK Newsletter, “Changing the Narrative.”