Boro Park
Hats off to Boro Park Center resident Leng Nguy, who turned the magic number — 101 — on May 18. Leng, and with his wife, Roen Bik, have resided at the center since February 2017.
The couple, who immigrated to the United States in 1960, have been married for more than 85 years, have rooms on the same floor, and enjoy many activities, according to Polina Kravchenko, recreation director at the center. Grandson Jose Vega was on hand to help celebrate the joyous occasion along with staff and fellow residents.
Leng spends his days reading newspapers and books, is fluent in three languages — including Cambodian, Chinese and Mandarin — and participating in many activities, including senior volleyball and basketball. He also enjoys creating works of art in calligraphy.
Boro Park Center [4915 10th Ave. at 49th Street in Borough Park, (718) 851–3700].
Fort Greene
Awards abound!
Pass the tassels over for Karen Li, on being one of six extraordinary New York high schoolers to be awarded the Milken Scholarship. The recognition provides a $10,000 cash prize along with a lifetime of mentoring and resources.
Karen, a student at Brooklyn Technical High School, is a woman of action. When famine struck in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, she co-founded Stand Against Starvation (SAS) to raise awareness of the issue. As president of the school’s Do Something Club, Karen encouraged her peers to take action and help the community; the group collected and donated more than 300 pairs of jeans for homeless teens and distributed cards with uplifting messages to Muslim students during Ramadan.
She is a QuestBridge National College Match Finalist, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. An avid singer, she has performed with the school’s a cappella choir, served as vice president of the Tri-M Honor Society, and earned a silver award from the New York State School Music Association.
After a friend died in an auto accident she joined Vision Zero Youth Council, becoming the group’s press relations director and participating in Vision Zero Youth Day to discuss ways to decrease automobile crash rates. The Milken Scholars is open to college-bound high school seniors in New York City, Los Angeles County and Washington, D.C. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, community service, leadership and their ability to persevere in the face of personal challenges.
Karen will join fellow recipients at a three-day summit this summer in Los Angeles, and will study political science and global affairs at Yale, when she enters this fall. She plans on pursuing a career in public service.
Brooklyn Technical High School [29 Fort Greene Pl. in Fort Greene, (718) 804–6400].
Marine Park
Save the date
Long-time resident Julie Bagarozza is organizing the sixth annual Brooklyn Brain Aneurysm Awareness 1K Walk on June 9, in memory of her brother-in-law Daris Bagarozza, who died suddenly from a ruptured brain aneurysm at age 30.
The walk will be held at the Marine Park Carmine Carro Building and proceeds raised will benefit the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s work to raise awareness and research funding for the disease.
“My family and I didn’t know what a brain aneurysm was when until we lost Daris. My mother-in-law and I started the walk in memory of him. It is a wonderful way to celebrate life, bring awareness to the disease and a reminder that we are not in this fight alone,” she said.
“It’s great to see a community come together to celebrate survivors and honor those such as Daris Bagarozza, who lost their lives to a brain aneurysm rupture,” said Christine Buckley, Brain Aneurysm Foundation executive director.
Brain Aneurysm Awareness Walk at the Carmine Carro Building (3000 Fillmore Ave. in Marine Park) June 9 at 10 am. Registration opens at 8 am. $30 registration fee. Sign up at www.bafou
