Mentees Open for Wyclef Jean at the Gala
While Wyclef Jean was the headlining performer at iMentor’s 10th Anniversary Gala, several of our mentees got to share the limelight. Six mentees from one of iMentor’s 14 partner sites—Bronx Academy of Letters—played the opening number at the gala. The mentees covered Wyclef’s hit single “Gone ‘Til November,” re-arranging the song with their own lyrics and a new instrumentation. The mentees had rehearsed the song for weeks under the guidance of Tim Grant, a dedicated mentor and iMentor Board member. Their hard work paid off when the audience recognized their performance with thundering applause and a standing ovation. The mentees also got to meet Wyclef, who was in the audience listening with excitement.
Watching our mentees shine at the gala was an incredible experience. Kevin, a mentor whose mentee Anthony played bass in the band, got to see his mentee perform for the first time that night. Kevin says:
“My mentee Anthony usually mentions his love for music at least once in our weekly emails. His dream is to become a musician. It was really incredible to see him on stage performing in front of such a huge audience, with a huge smile on his face. I could really see how much he loves to play. He did an amazing job!”
Kevin, mentor
Check out photos of the performance
