American Graduate Day 2017 returned this fall for its sixth consecutive year with Soledad O’Brien hosting the national broadcast, which premiered on Saturday, October 14. The four hour show was broadcast from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City and streamed on americangraduate.org, the annual multiplatform event was part of the public media initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, helping communities prepare all students for success in school, career and life.
Featuring news segments, mini-documentaries, performances, and interviews, American Graduate Day 2017 focused on the importance of mentorship as a solution to one of the nation’s largest education challenges, and celebrated the exceptional work of individuals and groups across the country who are mentors in their communities, by helping local youth stay on track to college and career successes. This year’s broadcast was anchored by 16 “Stories of Champions,” a series of short documentary-style profile pieces, which spotlighted individuals and influential figures in local communities around the country who are successfully keeping students on the path to graduation through engaging mentorship and ongoing support.
Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) was featured on the national broadcast during a segment spotlighting C-CAP Board Co-Chair and renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson with 22-year-old C-CAP Alumna Carlesha Alston. Chef Samuelsson is a mentor to Carlesha, hiring her as a junior sous chef at his award-winning Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem. Chef Alston has travelled with Chef Samuelsson, worked in his restaurant in Sweden, and opened his London restaurant Red Rooster Shoreditch. Prior to joining Chef Samuelsson, she worked in the kitchen at the Michelin-Star Cafe Boulud with Executive Chef Aaron Bludorn and C-CAP Alum, Executive Sous Chef Cesar Gutierrez. She enrolled in culinary class and Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) in Food and Finance High School in New York City, and after impressing the judges in the 2013 C-CAP Cooking Competition for Scholarships, C-CAP awarded her a scholarship. She then went on to attend Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY.
“We are thrilled to be included on the American Graduate Day show and thank PBS for highlighting our organization,” said Karen Brosius, President of C-CAP.
American Graduate Day is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen – a public media initiative to help communities prepare all students for success in school, career and life.
AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY HOSTS INCLUDED: Rehema Ellis (NBC); Susie Gharib (Fortune); Michael Hill (NJTV); Soledad O’Brien (Starfish Media Group); Hakeem Oluseyi (Science Channel); Sheba Turk (WWL-TV); Lauren Wanko (NJTV)
