The Bronx in some instances is a challenging place to live. And the media tends to gravitate toward negative stories about the Bronx because they seem to believe that negative news will catch the attention of readers with topics including murder, bullying and so forth.
We of Bronx News NYC wanted to look for positive stories in the Bronx and we found some! We will be covering those stories today. They include “How ElevateNewYork.org Changed the Life of of a Young Man Named Elvis,” “BizJournals.com’s Story on How the Bronx went from urban wasteland to success story in 40 years” and “Woman from the Bronx Becomes a Doctor Because of Her Love of Learning at the New York Public Library.”
How ElevateNewYork.org Changed the Life of of a Young Man and Bronx Resident Named Elvis
Elevate New York reports on Elvis, a young man attending Banana Kelly High School. Someone named Kevin Singleton would visit Elvis’ school in the South Bronx to speak with the students. One day he came with a special guest by the name of Kevin McGovern, a very successful entrepreneur. Elvis remembers that day like it was yesterday. It turned out that Elvis wasn’t in the classes where Kevin McGovern was going to speak. Elvis skipped on of his classes just to take part in one of those talks. Kevin McGovern shared the story of his life and all the obstacles he had overcome. One thing he stated that has stuck with Elvis was “You can achieve the impossible; you have to break it into possible steps.”
Elvis says that during his time at the Elevate classroom, He had the opportunity to learn many life changing skills for success. One of those skills was “Responsibility.” In the classroom this was very important; because the seven character qualities he and is fellow students learned from Kevin Singleton were the skills Elvis then would teach the fourth and fifth graders once a week. So Elvis’ responsibly was building a relationship with these younger students and letting them know that anything in life is possible if you work hard for it. Good job Elvis! See whole story here.
BizJournals.com’s Story on How the Bronx went from Urban Wasteland to a Success Story in 40 years
Biz Journals did an interview with Ruben Diaz Jr., a Bronx Native. Here’s part of that interview:
44-year-old Diaz, describes the borough’s strengths and what has enabled it to bounce back.
New York Business Journal: The Bronx was once called an urban wasteland, but now is considered an urban success story. What turned it around?
Diaz: We’re been working hard at changing the negative images and stereotypes. It’s taken decades of work, meeting with local community leaders, residents, police departments, and chambers of commerce.
President Ruben Diaz Jr. reports that between 2009 and 2016, $12.7 billion has been invested in development, leading to 29,000 units of housing, including 17,000 subsidized and 12,000 unsubsidized apartments.
More than 110,000 Bronx residents have secured jobs, dropping the unemployment level to 6.6 percent. The population has spiked, from 1.2 million in 1990 to 1.46 million in 2015 (slightly shy of Philadelphia’s). Good job Mr. Diaz! See whole story here.
Woman from the Bronx Becomes a Doctor Because of Her Love of Learning at the New York Public Library
On the New York Public Library’s website is a story about Dr. Ini Udoh. She immigrated to the United States as a young child, grew up in the Bronx amid poverty but near a welcoming branch library with a wealth of resources. She used the library as her study space through college before going away to medical school. Now a full-fledged doctor in the Bronx, Ini has come back to the “community that raised me.” Good job Dr. Ini Udoh! See whole story here.