On April 5th of this year, HEART Executive Director, Schadrac St. Louis, was a recipient of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Forty Under 40 Mover & Shaker Awards. This is an annual event honoring 40 individuals under the age of 40 who have shown a strong commitment to the Hudson Valley. The honorees are nominated, judged, and selected based on their professional and community achievements.
Shad was nominated for this award by his past and present colleagues at Middletown High School: Ryan Judge (above left), Karina Acevedo (above right), and Anthony Williams (not pictured.) A reception was held at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel, followed by an awards ceremony at Changepoint Church and Theater, where all of the honoree’s biographies were read to the large audience.
The following is Shad’s biography as presented that evening:
Schadrach St. Louis, 32
Enlarged City School District of Middletown/ HEARTinHaiti.org
Schadrach has dedicated his life to working towards ensuring that students everywhere have a fair chance at achieving their full potential. After the devastating earthquake of 2010 in Haiti, Schadrach traveled to Haiti with a group of educators who eventually created the Haiti Education And Resource Team. The School’s mission is “to educate the whole child, empowering them to reach their full potential” and they aim to create sustainable change through education. Schadrach lived in Haiti from 2011-2014, and worked full time to get the HEART School up and running. Since returning to New York, Schadrach worked around Orange County and in Harlem before returning to Middletown High School, where he is currently employed as a School Guidance Counselor. He also travels to Haiti multiple times a year and serves as Executive Director of the HEART Board of Directors and manages the HEART school team on the ground.
Ryan Judge tells HEART why he and his colleagues nominated Shad for his award: “The more I learned about Shad, the more impressed I became. Someone so selfless, giving, and humble would never toot his own horn but certainly should be recognized for his efforts to change the world around us.”
HEART is grateful for the efforts of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, along with Ryan Judge, Karina Acevedo, and Anthony Williams for supporting and recognizing Shad for his good work at Middletown High School, and with HEART.
