25 Years of TEAK!

In 1998, Justine Stamen Arrillaga founded The TEAK Fellowship in memory of DeWitt White (1981 – 1997) and Teak Dyer (1970 – 1988), two people close to her whose lives were tragically cut short. Wanting to provide other young people with the opportunity for a brighter future, she created a program to help aspiring students use education to overcome economic hardships and achieve their potential.

1998: The TEAK Fellowship is established by Justine Stamen Arrillaga and the TEAK Founding Board

1999: The first class of 22 Fellows is admitted into TEAK

2000: 100% of TEAK’s first class earns admission to selective high schools

2002: A group of TEAK supporters embarks upon The Morgan McKinzie Endowment campaign in support of a summer of service internship program where students volunteer at nonprofit organizations.

2004: The first class of 12th graders graduate from high school and matriculate to selective colleges and universities.

2005: Lynn Sorensen becomes TEAK’s Executive Director.

2007: TEAK is fully loaded with two classes in middle school, four high school classes, and four college classes.

2008:  TEAK celebrates its first class of college graduates.

2011: TEAK shifts the program entry point from 7th grade to 6th grade to provide an additional year of programming, begins recruiting its first class of 6th graders.

2013: TEAK celebrates 15 years of helping deserving NYC students reach their full potential.

2015: TEAK appoints John F. Green, former Head of School at Peddie School, Executive Director.

2016: TEAK officially expands to a ten-year program with the College Success Program serving 18- 22 year olds.

2017: TEAK pilots off-site education centers in Brooklyn and the Bronx. The result is a decrease in commuting time for students and an increase in academic time (14 hours per semester).

2018: TEAK Celebrates its 20th Anniversary.

2019: TEAK expands the program by 50%, increasing enrollment from 30 students per cohort to 45 Fellows, and adds a third off-site to serve students from Queens.

2020: TEAK shifts programming from in-person to virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and increases interactions with Fellows and families by 47%.

2021: Dr. Denise Brown-Allen becomes TEAK’s Executive Director, bringing 25 years of experience as an educator and school administrator.