Spring 2013 Peer Mentorship Program

Movie Night with S.M.B.S. Inc. Scholars.

This spring 2013 peer mentor program event was extra special as we welcomed second year scholarship recipient Richard Bohan as a board member.  Richard just returned from graduating with his bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence College. 

Richard organized and facilitated a movie night event on Saturday, June 2013.

The scholars found this event one of the BEST outings thus far.  It was surprising and exciting for the scholars to see Richard heading this event.  It was exciting for the board to have such energetic and fresh ideas on board.

Welcome on the board Richard!  

Message from Richard Bohan:

​Greetings! My name is Richard Bohan, but  please call me Richie! I'm a former scholar and  current board member of the Stephanie Marie Burgos  Scholarship. A few weeks ago, I took the scholars  out for dinner and a movie. The result was  fantastic!

​This was the very first outing for our  newest scholar Marianna Beatu. The scholarship  hosts these trips and events every year known as a  Peer and Menter activity. I went on a couple of  Peer and Mentor activities myself when I was a  scholar, so I was very excited to finally be able  to host one!

​First, we met at Times Square and ate in a  restaurant called Bravo Pizza. It was quite cozy  inside, but the atmosphere was lovely, and you can  never go wrong with New York-style pizza! Since all  of us go to different schools (some as far as six  hours away!) it was nice to catch up and talk about  our experiences. As a recent graduate, I was able  to talk about my experiences job hunting and  preparing for the next step after college.  

​After we dined, we then walked to AMC  theater and decided to pick a movie. It was a tough  call, but everyone decided that After Earth looked  very interesting.

​The movie stared Will Smith as well as his  son Jaden Smith, who looks uncannily like his  father. It was a very interesting science fiction  film that was about the bonds between father and  son.

​The movie also had very scary aliens and  this was stressful for Richie, who hid behind his  sweater during the more suspensful parts. Luckily,  the other scholars were much braver than I was!

​Overall, the film was a lot of fun and  everyone really enjoyed the suspense of the plot.  It was really nice to see everyone, and I can't  wait to host another Peer and Mentor activity!

-Richard Bohan

Yankee Game Fundraiser 2013

Baseball FUN-raiser.

One of our new board members, James Carroll, organized and facilitated our very first baseball fundraiser at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, June 22, 2013.

Thank you James for selecting such great seats and carrying this event out to completion. And, thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and helped raise a total of $240 in ticket sales and $20 in donation to the event.

Board member James Carroll with his mom & one of our great 

supporters, Barbara Carroll.

Great view!!!

Board members Karen Texeira & Ashanti Rivera

2013 Sixth Scholarship Recipient: Marianna Beaute

Presenting our 6th scholarship recipient.


We were honored to present our sixth scholarship recipient on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at Clara Barton High School Awards Night in Brooklyn, New York.

Marianna Beaute took home almost all the awards that evening but the highlight was the S.M.B.S. Inc. presentation by our executive director and board member Diana Diaz-Torres. Ms. Diaz-Torres presented Marianna with a certificate from the organization to recognize Marianna's efforts in achieving academic success despite advertise in her life. But, most importantly Marianna was welcomed to the S.M.B.S. family. The heartfelt speech was about Stephanie's legacy and the mission of the scholarship.

Marianna was one of over thirty applicants. Although there were multiple excellent applications, Marianna was a prime choice.

"The goal of our organization is to eventually select multiple students, not just one recipient a year", said Ms. Diaz-Torres. It sounds like the organization is well on its way with its wonderful supporters, including existing and new board members, as well as the generous donors and supporters, many of which are friends and family.

Welcome to the S.M.B.S. Inc. family Marianna Beaute. Congratulations on your graduation from Clara Barton High School.  Best wishes on your first year of college at Barnard College.

Second Annual Fundraiser Dinner Dance Party 2013

Spring Dinner Dance Fundraiser.

As one guest nicely put it "Spring Love was (definitely) in the air" on Friday, May 24, 2013.  We ate, we talked, we danced and we just loved LIFE.  On this day, we celebrated Stephanie's life and what her spirit has left us.  A wonderful organization that supports kids like her who aspire to succeed academically and prosper as successful adults.

H&A Party Place located on 68-17 Forest Avenue, Ridgewood, New York, was the perfect place to host a relaxed and fun filled night of great food, great music by DJ Herman Cortez, and great company.

The food was deliciously prepared by our very own Alexandria Agrinsoni (Stephanie's cousin) and a couple of other family members with contributions from Mr. Albert Gomez, a good family friend.


Thank you to everyone who made our second annual party such a success! And, most importantly to our board, who generously, effortlessly and lovingly contributed to this event and the ongoing functioning of our organization throughout the year.

Board members present at the party;

From left to right, Roslyn Sternlieb, Charmaine Mayers, Jeanette Aquino-Reveron, Jessica Morales, Veronica Plasencia, Diana Diaz-Torres, Fanny Mera & James Carroll

We raised $1,830 in ticket sales and over $790 in donations to the event.


Please LIKE our Facebook page and check out the party photo album 2013: