TCNJ

20 The College of New Jersey Magazine JaZMine barrera-reCinos '25 Current Bonner Scholar Volunteer site: Academic Sports Academy When Jazmine Barrera-Recinos '25 was in elementary school, she attended the Academic Sports Academy, an after-school program that teamed students in Trenton public schools with TCNJ Bonner Scholars for homework help and participation in recreational activities. "I thought the Bonners were the coolest people on earth," she says. When she was in fourth grade, one mentor even signed her iPod case with a note encouraging her to work hard. "Being in the program cemented the idea that I wanted to go to college and earn a degree." Now a psychology major and a Bonner Scholar herself, Barrera-Recinos serves as site leader at ASA. It's not lost on her that she's currently the one inspiring a younger generation as 60 to 80 students arrive at Hedgepeth- Williams Intermediate School each afternoon for tutoring and to burn off energy in the gym. "Our interactions help them become more ambitious," Barrera-Recinos says. Recently, she and other Bonners organized a field trip where ASA students attended a sports event at TCNJ, toured the campus, and met professors. "One kindergartner told me, 'Miss Jazmine, I want to go to TCNJ because you go there.' It was a full-circle moment for me." Jazmine Barrera-Recinos (front) is a role model for kids at the Academic Sports Academy in Trenton. 20 The College of New Jersey Magazine fUn faCT ASA was founded by alUMnUs and forMer nba Player greg granT and was one of the first organizations to partner with TCNJ's Bonner Program

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