Eleven outstanding adults who work with youth will be honored by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and MMSD Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard for their dedication and creativity in supporting youth by Madison Out-of-School Time (MOST) at a special ceremony on Aug. 28, 4-5:30 p.m. at the Madison Youth Arts Center on Madison’s near east side.
The Madison-area Out-of-School Time initiative ensures that all of Madison’s children and youth have access to comprehensive, high-quality, out-of-school time programs that support positive youth development, educational achievement, and readiness for college, career, and community. MOST is a collaboration between the City of Madison, Dane County, Madison Metropolitan School District, and over 45 Madison-area youth-serving organizations.
Six “MOST” Outstanding Youth Workers will be recognized along with three “Legends of Out-of-School Time” and two “Legacy” awards recognizing a lifetime of dedication.
(Photos by Hedi Lamar Photography)
The 2024 Legends are Eileen Otis from Madison School & Community Recreation, Howard A. Hayes from Goodman Community Center, and Ian Hannah from Madison School & Community Recreation.
The 2024 Legacy Award winners are Tom Moen and John Harmelink who have collectively given nearly a century of service to young people and families at East Madison Community Center.
The 2024 MOST Outstanding Youth Workers include Sam Nesovanovic from Bayview Foundation; Adam Cabell from Wisconsin Youth Company; Arionna C. Davis from Lussier Community Education Center; Bronte Adamson from Rooted; Victoria Patterson from Madison School and Community Recreation; and Reginald J Lee from Madison School and Community Recreation.
MOST will recognize the awardees for their contributions to making the city better with $500 awards. Award winners were nominated by their peers with final selections made by local high school students among dozens of strong nominees.
Biographies of the honorees, as provided by Madison Out-of-School Time, are as follows:
Sam Nesovanovic from Bayview Foundation – Sam started their journey at Bayview in the fall of 2021 as an AmeriCorps member. From day one, Sam’s dedication to the youth, all of whom are from disadvantaged backgrounds, was clear. This commitment is consistent; whether staying late to tutor or coming in early to prepare for a program, Sam always puts the youth first. Sam’s supportive relationships with the youth ensure they feel safe, supported, and celebrated. This trust leads many to recruit friends to attend Bayview. Sam excels here, becoming a trusted resource for all teens. Sam’s always ready to listen, offer advice, and provide needed support, making every youth feel valued and understood. Sam’s dedication extends beyond the youth to the entire community. They help organize events, support community projects, and lend a hand wherever needed. In schools, Sam collaborates with MMSD staff at Hamilton Middle and West High to enhance student support. As the Youth Advocacy and Support Coordinator, Sam provides spaces for middle and high school youth to meet, discuss their week, and receive academic support. Sam also facilitates Drop-Ins, offering mental health support and mentorship.
Adam Cabell from Wisconsin Youth Company – Walk into the Wisconsin Youth Company After School program at Crestwood Elementary School and “Mr. Adam” is a name you will hear on a regular basis – school staff love working with him because they can count on him. In his 7 years of working as the Site Supervisor in their After School program, he has made a clear impact on the community. Families know him by name and shower him with gifts around the holidays/end of the school year. The children in his program feel loved, cared for, and a sense of belonging. Having this be his first job right after moving to Wisconsin from Hawaii, he not only found a community at After School, but has provided lots of the Crestwood families with essential care, support, and love.
Bronte Adamson from Rooted – Bronte stepped right out of college into her work in garden and nutrition education with youth which she has been doing ever since! She started as a Farm-to-School Educator with REAP Food Group and Americorps then began working for Rooted starting at our Badger Rock location and now as the Troy Kids’ Garden Manager. Bronte has experience and expertise working with youth of all ages, from preschool all the way up through supervising high school Rooted in Urban Agriculture Youth Employees.
Victoria Patterson from Madison School & Community Recreation– Victoria has worked for over fifteen years providing afterschool and enrichment activities to kids throughout Madison. Her years of experience, and being a mother herself, gives her the ability to view programming from multiple lenses ensuring that both the participant’s and families’ needs are met. Victoria goes above and beyond her regular job responsibilities by creating opportunities for youth and families to experience and participate in activities they might otherwise not have access to. She is a director who will always give anyone who wants a chance the opportunity to work.
Arionna C. Davis from Lussier Community Education Center – Arionna started off her youth work navigating challenges in her life. There were so many barriers in her way, but instead of giving up, Arionna chose to use her lived experiences to connect with youth and as motivation to carve out an innovative path for youth who need support. In addition to her planning and implementation of activities that aid in middle school youth living in poverty, reaching grade levels in math and reading, she also spends a significant amount of time providing youth with resources to cope and navigate through their own personal hardships in addition to providing Social and Emotional Learning programming that provoke Middle Schoolers to consider their own peers and to work together in building a proverbial village and support system of their own.
Reginald J Lee from Madison School and Community Recreation – Reggie is outstanding because of the amount of work he puts in every day to ensure that student outcomes are being met at Cherokee Middle School. Reggie also has a very unique program called ‘Scholars of Excellence’ which is a program created to help support Black seventh and eighth grade students at Cherokee Heights Middle School. The goal of the program is to give students of color the tools they will need throughout life to achieve their goals and personal growth. This past school year students took a 6 day trip to Washington D.C., Virginia, and Baltimore. During this trip scholars visited historically Black colleges such as Howard University, Coppin State, Morgan State, Hampton University and Norfolk State University.
