DeQuan Foster

DeQuan has recently published a book called The Twelve. Check it out on Amazon.com!

Photo of Shavar D. Jeffries Shavar D. Jeffries

Shavar grew up in the South Ward of Newark and was raised by his grandmother who sent him to BGCN as a young boy. At the Club, he was an active member of the Keystone Club, which cultivated his passion and commitment to community outreach. In 1992, he won the Youth of the Year award for the Northeast Region. Shavar graduated from Duke University, where he was selected to represent the Duke student body on the Duke Board of Trustees. He went on to Columbia Law School, graduating with a range of honors, including recognition as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and the Jane Marks Murphy Prize for excellence in public-interest law advocacy. After law school, Shavar clerked for the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones before becoming an associate with the law firm of Wilmer Cutler & Pickering. In the back of his mind, he had always planned to return to Newark, to give back to both his city and the Club. So in 2001, Shavar joined the Gibbons law firm in Newark as a public-interest law fellow. In 2003, he joined the BGCN Board of Trustees, and in 2004, he became the Board President. That same year, he joined the Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall Law School, where he primarily teaches a Civil Litigation Clinic course. His students represent clients pro-bono in major public-interest and civil-rights cases, focusing primarily on impact advocacy seeking to empower urban parents with greater control of their children’s education. In 2008, Shavar took a leave from Seton Hall to serve as Counsel to the New Jersey Attorney General. As Counsel, Shavar served directly with the Attorney General in running New Jersey’s Department of Law and Public Safety.

Photo of Ameer Washington Kalia Murray

In 2000, Kalia became a second generation Club member, after her father who attended the Westside Clubhouse in 1970. As a Club member, Kalia volunteered as a tutor for younger children. It was during these tutoring sessions that she developed a passion for teaching. In 2006, Kalia was named our Youth of the Year before graduating from Newark’s Science High School. Currently, she attends Jersey City State College, where she is majoring in elementary education. Kalia also worked with elementary children as an education instructor at our Belmont Runyon School Unit.

Ameer Washington

A lifelong Newark resident, Ameer first became a member of the Central Ward Unit at the age of six and stayed until he graduated from high school. While growing up, he not only dealt with the death of both his parents at an early age, but also faced the dangers of living in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the City. Despite the many challenges, Ameer thrived at the Club, participating in a multitude of programs that led to him being named the state Youth of the Year in 2000. In 2004, he graduated from Temple University with a degree in Finance. Ameer returned to the Club to work, holding various positions including Program and Unit Director. Together with our 2012 Youth of the Year, DeQuan Foster, they published a thrilling novel called The Twelve. Currently, Ameer is the Director of Teen Services at the Central Clubhouse.

Kevin Williams

Kevin first began attending the Central Ward Unit as a six-year-old where he engaged in several programs including table tennis, swimming, small fry basketball and Life Camp. As a teen in the Club, Kevin learned the values of community service as a member of the Keystone Club, volunteering to beautify not only his neighborhood but also his Club. Kevin graduated from the University of Virginia and is currently teaching for the Newark Public Schools.