Port Chester’s village board took time last night to recognize a high school freshman, Na-Keem Marks, who received an “Overcoming the Odds” Award from the organization Student Advocacy last month.
The award is given to those who struggle to overcome obstacles like family problems, disabilities, medical issues or past substance abuse.
Na-Keem was nominated by Valerie Henigson, school psychologist at Port Chester Middle School. He was mentored by Trustee Joseph Kenner, who used to work at PepsiCo and now works in the Westchester county executive’s office. Student Advocacy describes on its website how Na-Keem has managed to overcome emotional and learning difficulties and become a successful athlete, scholar and student president of the Port Chester NAACP.
Click here to learn about other three honorees, from Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Mahopac.
(Photo: Valerie Henigson, Na-Keem Marks, his mother La Reese Marks and Jackie Meehan, Senior Facilitator/Educational Technology in the Port Chester schools.)
