2022-November-29

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Cisco and Harlem Lacrosse: Winning Together

BY IMARI WAY AND MONICA BHANDARKAR

WITH HELEN GALL

4 MINUTE READ · 7 MINUTE LISTEN

Two children running on a field wearing lacrosse gear.

Harlem Lacrosse students experience success on and off the field and engage in more positive behaviors in the pursuit of those goals.

Cisco is committed to powering an inclusive future for all. Leaders like VP of Global Collaboration Sales Brian Stout and People and Communities Director LaTricia Frederick exemplify this by creating opportunities for youth who are most at risk for academic decline through the Harlem Lacrosse League (HLL).

Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports among U.S. youth and has a fiercely loyal national fanbase. For HLL, the sport carries an even deeper meaning. It is central to the nonprofit, school-based organization’s approach to putting youth on a path to success as students, athletes, and citizens.

HLL helps students stay on track for graduating and going to college by placing a support team within schools. The team offers academic support, mentoring, leadership training, career exploration, and lacrosse instruction.

A focus on lacrosse is intentional, as the sport emphasizes playing at the collegiate level while also building players’ perseverance and confidence.

Now in its 10th year, Harlem Lacrosse has served over 1,000 students across 19 programs in five cities. And its impact is clear: 94 percent of participants earn passing GPAs, 94 percent graduate high school, and 86 percent enroll in college.

LaTricia Frederick and Brian Stout attended HLL’s annual gala in April 2022, which marked the organization’s 10th anniversary.

Brian Stout’s story

The founder of Harlem Lacrosse is a former Concord-Carlisle High School player and played for Concord-Carlisle Youth Lacrosse (CCYL), a local club team that I’m involved with. Early on, the two programs forged a special partnership, hosting Friendship Visits where each team took a turn visiting the other team.

In the fall, Harlem Lacrosse would travel to Concord, Massachusetts, and the athletes would stay with CCYL families. Then, in the spring we would take eighth graders to Harlem so they could experience going to school in New York City.

As Harlem Lacrosse expanded to more cities, including Baltimore, Boston, and Los Angeles, I helped other lacrosse clubs in Massachusetts get involved as partners. Today, I’m focused on raising funds and bringing leaders into the program to further its growth and engage more at-risk students at a pivotal moment in their lives.

LaTricia Frederick’s story

I am passionate about bringing together diverse communities, breaking down barriers, and giving back. HLL accomplishes all these things. I immediately felt a connection to the organization and its student-athletes once I heard Brian’s story and attended the HLL annual gala.

I’m also inspired by how HLL uses lacrosse to bring students together despite their differences. The organization invests in students from all sides; helping them build transferable skills that prepare them for life — on and off the field.

This was clear to me when Cisco welcomed its first group of HLL student interns in 2021. They embodied the values of both HLL and Cisco and it was an honor to support them on their career journey.

Bringing HLL to Cisco

With the help of outstanding leaders, Cisco is now a Silver Bright Funds Sponsor for the HLL. In 2021 and 2022, HLL students took part in the Cisco Global Sales Intern Program.

During summer 2022, four HLL students completed the program:

Breya Barber took part in the 2022 Global Sales Intern Program at Cisco.

“I am so excited to share that this summer I will be working at Cisco as a Field Sales/Technical Intern. I am very grateful for this experience and to everyone who supported me in this process especially the Cisco recruiting department for providing me this opportunity!” Breya says.

Souleymane Ballo took part in the 2021 and 2022 Global Sales Intern Program at Cisco.

“As I’ve started up school, I’ve been able to reflect on my time at Cisco this past summer. For the second straight year, I had a great time learning more about Cisco and the world of sales,” Souleymane says.

“I just wanted to say thank you my team leader Shannon Rife for helping me on the GES collaboration team and learning more about collaboration opportunities. I would also like to shout out Rachel O’Connor, Derron Cyrus, and Christopher Aiwanse for helping me with things like projects, role plays, and presentations. Hopefully, this isn't the last time I get to work for a company like Cisco.”

Hassanatou Diallo took part in the 2021 and 2022 Global Sales Intern Program at Cisco.

“It’s been an amazing summer with Cisco (yet again), and unfortunately, it has come to an end. This summer I learned the importance of building a brand within your role,” shares Hassanatou. “Not only did I have the opportunity to network but I got to experience real time customer calls with collaboration specialists!”

“I’ve also continued to practice presentation and storytelling skills along the way. My personal growth throughout the summer has reached higher levels thanks to Cisco’s working environment. Thank you Doug Hoffman for welcoming me into the Northeast collaboration team! It was truely an amazing experience.”

Jonathane Bernardez took part in the 2021 and 2022 Global Sales Intern Program at Cisco. He credits HLL for changing his life for the better.

“I wouldn't have had the opportunity to work for Cisco if not for the people at Harlem Lacrosse, who have been changing my life for the better since I joined in high school,” says Jonathane. “They helped me in my pursuit of a boarding school, college, and steps for after college. They have always been there for me and my fellow HLL alumni. I will forever be grateful to them."

Cisco continues to be the bridge for the next generation by investing in internship opportunities, empowering our leaders to give back, and advocating for an inclusive future for all.

To show your support, learn more about the Harlem Lacrosse League and donate on Bright Funds.