BUFFALO – Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon, in partnership with the Department of Community Services, today hosted the 2025 Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Awards Ceremony in the lobby of Buffalo City Hall, where he honored five Buffalo youth and several outstanding worksite participants. Deatra White-Paris, Assistant to the Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Program, served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.
Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon said, “Congratulations to the five youth recipients of this year’s Mayor’s Summer Youth Internship Awards! What a pleasure it is to honor our young people and several impactful organizations for the positive work they did throughout the summer months. As a proud alum of this program, I know firsthand the impact this opportunity has on our community’s youngest residents. This initiative isn’t just a summer job—it’s a pipeline to success, equipping our youth with real-world experience, skills, and connections that will shape their futures. This year’s awardees, and all of our nominees, are great role models to their peers, and to our city at large.”
Recipients of the Mayor’s Summer Youth Awards were nominated by their site supervisors who worked closely with them during Mayor Scanlon’s six-week summer work experience program that provided employment and work-readiness training to City youth. Among the ceremony’s most memorable moments came when Synphany Harrison, a Junior at Buffalo Seminary, was presented with The Brian Harper Memorial Leadership Award. The leadership scholarship was presented to Synphany by representatives of Harper’s family who felt she best embodied the same vision, strength, dependability, and flexibility that Harper had, both as a former intern in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, and throughout his life. The Buffalo Native died tragically in April of 2022. Below is a detailed list of each of the award categories, along with the name of the award recipient(s).
ABOVE & BEYOND AWARD
This award is presented to a student who best displayed a positive attitude and showed initiative, enthusiasm, and commitment, as well as a strong desire to assist others and complete assigned tasks.
Nahian Fnu – Senior, Lafayette High School
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
This award is presented to a compassionate and talented youth who strives to give back to his or her community, peers, and staff members, while encouraging others to get involved.
Bryan Perry – Junior, The Buffalo School of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management
ENTHUSIASTIC LEARNER AWARD
This award is presented to a youth who displays an eagerness to learn and a willingness to work hard.
Jolanis Vazquez – Freshman, City Honors School
OUTSTANDING IMPROVEMENT AWARD
This award is presented to a youth who has shown determination, confidence, and perseverance in overcoming challenges, while striving to realize his or her full potential.
Jonathan Swain – Freshman, Charter School for Applied Technologies
EXEMPLARY WORKSITE AWARDS
This award is presented to two impactful worksites that provided outstanding employment opportunities to our interns, giving them a unique educational experience. These worksites are partnering organizations that are dedicated to further assisting and creating an even stronger local workforce by preparing our young people for the jobs of the future.
Lutheran Church of Our Savior Camp Joy
Buffalo Engineering Awareness for Minorities (BEAM) Program
THE BRIAN HARPER MEMORIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
This award is presented to a youth who embodies the vision, strength, dependability, and flexibility that Brian Harper, a former intern in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, exhibited throughout his life. The Buffalo Native, who died tragically in April of 2022, was a strong critical thinker who strived to improve our community, enriched the lives of others, and consistently maintained a positive “It Can Be Done” attitude.
Synphany Harrison – Junior, Buffalo Seminary
Participants in today’s program also included Pastor Jeffrey C. Chambless of Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, who provided the Invocation and Benediction, Singer and Youth Intern Nia White, as well as members of the South Park High School JROTC, who conducted the Presentation of Colors at the start of today’s ceremony.
