Listen to the ice show music that defined this FSH era
Tiffany Wilson (‘06)
Tiffany’s Story
I remember I was really shy as a kid, but I was often picked to speak in public at FSH. At one of the banquets I was asked to do a speech to help break me out of my shell. I was probably 13 at that banquet. When I got on stage, I started tearing up because I was so nervous. I don't think I even got a chance to start my speech. My nerves got the best of me. Then, Tamara Tunie came up to me and she helped alleviate my anxiety. She shared with me that in the beginning of her career, she was a little timid and shy. I felt a lot calmer and more reassured when she gave me those words of encouragement. That was the start of many situations in FSH where I was called on to speak in front of an audience.
When we had Speak Up classes with Ms. Paddy and had our sessions with Ms. Jackie it was rewarding. We were being given tools to help us along the way because it wasn't just an afterschool program. A lot of what we received going through the program actually carried over into our adult life and professional life. Participating in Ms. Paddy and Ms. Jackie’s classes broke me out of my shell a lot. That was like the warmup period for my adult life in a sense. Becoming comfortable with public speaking really helped me with my profession. As a nurse, you have to be an advocate for your patients. You can't allow anyone, including doctors, to intimidate you. You have to stand tall and firm in what you're saying and own what you're saying. Public speaking is second nature to me now. Me, shy? No, I'm not anymore.
During my senior year I was awarded the Charles Mayer Citizenship award. That is the one memory I will never forget because of what I was awarded after that. It wasn't just the Cup, it was a Dell desktop computer as well. All of that was shocking. It's everybody's dream in the program to get that award. During my time, only one person received it every year at the banquet. To me, I felt like that's the person that stands out, that exemplifies leadership, and that holds FSH’s values and mission to the utmost. I'm not gonna lie, Ms. Sharon had some run-ins with me a couple times because I was not the perfect student. So, as they were describing the person who was supposed to get the award, Sarahn looked at me and I was wondering, “why is she looking at me? This ain't for me. This is supposed to be for Sarahn, not me.” And then they said my name and my heart dropped. I was really, really thrown off. I had no idea. It was really rewarding and I felt like maybe I was doing something good.
Folasade Thompson (‘08)
Sade’s Story
When Ms. Alyssa joined and FSH implemented dance class, I was like, “Oh yeah, I could do this every day” because I had a dance background. I loved Ms. Alyssa. She was Black, had locs like me, was really nice, and she was good at what she did. She was passionate. She's the main person that helped shape the graceful part of myself. Everybody would say I skate like Alyssa, and I would be like, “Well, that's the point. Everybody should skate like Alyssa. You should float on the ice.” I remember dance classes being fun. We would sometimes pretend like we were tired and didn’t want to do dance class, but we all wanted to see Ms. Alyssa. There was a calm joy that everybody had in dance class. Dance classes helped me to be more delicate on the ice. I would watch Ms. Alyssa and mimic and implement moves that she did with her upper body.
Freedom, that’s what figure skating is. It's the true embodiment of freedom. You don't feel freer doing anything else. The wind on your face, how fast you see your legs can take you. It's all about power and grace and how they come together hand in hand. When the show comes and you have on your costume and make up and your hair is done, you enter into your zone. It's just you and the ice. There's nothing else, even though there are people in the stand, but that doesn't even matter.
The ice skating tests were like a quiet storm. Everybody was focused on that one move that they needed to learn. There was always one move that took longer to learn. Then, on the day of the test you could feel the momentum building and building up to your turn. Once you finished, you would wonder, “Did I do it? Did I make it? Did I tackle this goal?” When we did pass and got our patches, we couldn't wait to sew them onto our jackets and come back with them on the next week or the next day. The patches meant the same thing that a gold medal means to an Olympic skater. You did it. With all your hard work, you accomplished it. You mastered that skill. Nobody can take that away from you. You became a better version of yourself because you worked hard towards it.
Yvonne Jewnell (‘04)
Yvonne Jewnell was a member of FSH during her adolescent years from 2002-2004. She graduated from Parsons: The New School, where she received her B.F.A. in Fashion Design. Yvonne is the Creative Director and Co-Owner of Harlem Fashion Week, designer for Malcolm X Legacy, and resident stylist for The Sum of Us Project, led by renowned photographer Brooklyn McTavish. Yvonne has been featured in Vogue Italia, Paper Magazine, The Root.com, The New Yorker, Fashion Week Online, and Amsterdam News, to name a few, as well as other local media outlets in New York like AfrofusionTV and Urban Girl Mag. As a student in FSH, Yvonne learned to accept new challenges with optimism and integrity as a result of learning pivotal skills in teamwork and community outreach, conflict resolution, and academic excellence.
Keri Springett-Delatour (‘04)
Jessica Bramble (‘04)
Jessica Bramble joined FSH in 2001. She is a People Operations professional with a passion for creating equitable workplaces and developing the cultural blueprint of an organization. She is the Founder and CEO of Curios by Jess where she curates lifestyle products that aid consumers in their journey to self-discovery. Graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 2015 with a B.A. in Sociology, Jessica credits her time in Figure Skating in Harlem as the seed that inspires her to affirm and encourage Black women and girls. FSH taught Jessica the value of challenging herself and finding strength in community. The lessons she learned in FSH has greatly contributed to the woman, business owner, and professional she is today.