"Mr. Smith talked about his history with the program, and I wanted very much to follow in his footsteps," Ady says. "If not for NOAH, college would not have been possible for me. I would probably have started working after high school and would still be at home. "I love NOAH," he says emphatically.

NOAH students met Congressman Charles Rangel at the Honors College State of the Union Address in February. (L to r) Rhudy Correa, Steven Then,Abel Cruz, Michael Jarrett, Sr., Senior Assistant Dean Baraka Corley, Congressman Rangel and Assistant Dean Regla Belizaire.

Ady feels that throughout his years at Hofstra, NOAH has provided him with a built-in support system of peers. "The program teaches us that we are born to be leaders - that we are here to motivate others." In addition to serving as president of Malik Fraternity and on the African Latino Fraternity Sorority (ALFS) Alliance at Hofstra, Ady has devoted every summer since his freshman year to be a tutor counselor in the NOAH summer program.

"During my first summer with the academic boot camp, I worked with a young lady on her math skills. She started out doing very poorly, failing all her exams. After two to three weeks, her scores were in the 60s, then 70s, then 80s. By the end of the six weeks she won the NOAH math award and hugged and thanked me for my help. It was then that I realized what a difference NOAH makes to the students and what a difference the students make to each other."

Though the NOAH students and administrators are a strong support system, they are not isolated from the rest of the campus community. In fact, participation and assimilation into the larger student body are expected. Sabir Manteen says the program emphasizes "leadership and involvement. Many of my classmates served in the SGA or wrote for the campus newspapers, The Chronicle and The New Voice. The goal is to create a complete and holistic student experience."

Sybil Mimy's professional career has been spent on the Hofstra campus, albeit in a variety of capacities over the course of 10 years. Upon her graduation in 1995, she was hired as the assistant dean of freshman advancement. She continued her graduate studies, receiving a Master of Science in education in 1997. She later became the multicultural coordinator, assistant director of student activities in 1997 and assistant dean for the School of Communication in 1999. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she also served as an adjunct professor teaching Africana Studies and speech communication courses.

As the executive director, Sybil states, "The most satisfying part is the fact that NOAH essentially changes lives, giving our students a better opportunity. It's especially satisfying to see them walk across that platform to get their diplomas. Their lives could have gone in a very different direction without this program."

NOAH will accelerate its efforts to broaden its students' cultural awareness, Sybil promises. "We're creating a co-curricular cultural uplift program, in which our students can be exposed to theater, opera and other cultural opportunities in the arts - which they typically wouldn't experience."

In the process of this cultural awakening, she adds that these students will also gain access to important role models. In the 2004-2005 academic year, NOAH students saw Broadway performances by actors Denzel Washington and Phylicia Rashad, and also had the opportunity to meet with them. This spring NOAH students performed a tribute to the late Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King and hosted a campus event with poet Nikki Giovanni.

Looking to the future, Sybil says there are more ambitious plans in the works. "There's a new program with our students serving as mentors to high school students in Hempstead, Roosevelt and other nearby school districts, and becoming more involved with their communities." NOAH, she adds, will also increase its efforts to secure internships for its students.