Each year, we profile the winner of the Hillside Chair’s Award, an honor earned by an employee whose above-and-beyond dedication and impact exemplify the principles of Hillside’s mission of service.

Like a lot of young people, Keyonne Teagle had dreams of a successful career as a professional athlete—but unlike many kids, he also had the skills, drive and early college successes to suggest those dreams were attainable.

“I had a touch of the glory of basketball and got to enjoy it,” he recalls. “My goal was to make a living at it, and I was doing well … but I got injured three times. It wasn’t my thing, I guess.”

His last injury forced Teagle to seek another calling, and he found it in helping others. In 2002 the Queens, NY, native relocated to Rochester, and since 2004 he’s been an enthusiastic member of the Hillside team—including working for the past 13 years as a Youth Advocate for Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HWSC).

Teagle’s consistent dedication has instilled him in a sense of purpose, and helped him make a difference in countless young lives. “It builds me up, coming to work and seeing the kids, helping them rectify the problems that they face and giving advice they can carry into the community,” he says. “And when they tell me ‘Thank you. I needed to hear that,’ that helps me along the way.”

Among the many dividends of his long Hillside history has been seeing the longer-term results of his commitment to vulnerable youth. Teagle recalls a student who graduated high school with a full scholarship to study law, and another who eventually became an accountant. The latter alumnus later returned to share life lessons with Teagle’s current students at Greece Athena High School. “They’re doing big things in life. Those are the success stories. I’m so proud of them.”

Teagle gives credit for his longevity to his peers and the current and past supervisors who have provided support and guidance. “I always want to elevate my skillset—every day, I try to do better and be better, and never sell myself short. These young men and women need that from us.

“But you’d be surprised what the kids can teach you, too,” he adds. “These students are phenomenal. I’m so privileged to be a part of their lives. And I owe it to Hillside.”

Keyonne Teagle is pictured above with Jill Knittel, Past Chair, Hillside Board of Governors; and Maria Cristalli, Hillside President & CEO.

Click here to listen to Maria Cristalli and Keyonne Teagle in a recent “Conversations with the CEO” podcast. 

Community support keeps #HillsideStrong! Please make a donation today.

Each year, we profile the winner of the Hillside Chair’s Award, an honor earned by an employee whose above-and-beyond dedication and impact exemplify the principles of Hillside’s mission of service.

Amy Patterson is a familiar face at many Hillside offices, campuses and regions. Although based in Buffalo, the Senior Nurse Manager moves around a lot in the course of juggling multiple responsibilities.

“It changes every day,” says Patterson of her typical routine that’s anything but typical. “One day I’ll be working with the individuals we serve in our group homes, and the next I might be supporting a youth who’s having difficulty in one of our schools. I do a lot of different things.”

Patterson has been a nurse since age 18 and a Hillside employee since 2010—years of experience that she called upon to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the rest of the world, she was thrust into an unknown situation fraught with social isolation and medical uncertainty.

Her first thoughts were for the people and families that Hillside serves, and the dedicated staff who were caring for them. “I don’t ever remember being so tired. I felt like I worked nonstop for those first few months,” Patterson recalls. “I felt bad for everyone – the kids and individuals, their families, our own employees. I wanted them to all see one another and they couldn’t. It was heartbreaking.”

When the COVID vaccine became available, Patterson led the charge by scheduling and staffing vaccine clinics in Rochester and Buffalo (pictured above right), leveraging partnerships with community organizations including Update Pharmacy, University of Rochester Medicine, D’Youville College, and Fantastic Friends of Western New York.

“It was a team effort,” she says of that work. “I became a champion of the vaccine because that was going to get us back to normal, and I wanted to do what I could do to help.”

Looking back, she credits Hillside’s commitment to adaptation and innovation as being critical to the agency’s COVID journey. And today, with the pandemic’s worst days in the past, she says working directly with youth and families brings a great sense of fulfillment. “I’m happy because I can make a difference,” Patterson says, “and because I get to work with so many like-minded people.”

On behalf of the Hillside community, we thank Amy Patterson for her commitment—during that critical time in our history, and every day!

Hillside is hiring for a wide range of positions that make a difference in the lives of youth and familes. Visit our Careers page to learn more about working at Hillside, and to find a role that fits your interests and skills.

The following article originally appeared on the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) website, sharing the story of a remarkable trip taken by Syracuse and Binghamton Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection students to the Virginia facilities of Micron Technology. We thank our partners at Micron (including Dr. Robert Simmons), SCSD and On Point for College for their support in connecting HWSC students with this amazing opportunity to explore STEM careers!

“It’s versatile – whatever you’re looking forward to doing, you could probably find inside Micron!”

Corcoran senior Jayden Hayward was into technology when he was younger. Now, as he anticipates his life after high school, he says he’s uncertain about what career path he’ll pursue. This summer, his mother encouraged him to join a two-day trip to Washington, DC, organized by Hillside, On Point For College, and in partnership with Micron.

“I didn’t really want to go because I’ve never gone anywhere out of state by myself,” Jayden shared. “My mom encouraged me to go – I’m glad she did! I made a lot of friends. The mentors were all nice and helpful. It was something to remember – a once in a lifetime thing.”

Jayden and his peers – several current SCSD high school students along with recent SCSD graduates who are now in college – took a bus to Washington, DC where they toured the nation’s capital and got an up-close look at a Micron Chip Fab in Manassas, VA.

They learned from industry experts, witnessed the manufacturing process of microchips, and were immersed in cutting-edge technology.

“The Micron building was huge – it was very nice!” Jayden said. “They told us about how there are so many jobs at Micron and how they’re bringing it to Syracuse. They said that when we graduate, some of us could go work there. They talked to us about the types of jobs there have there. Most of the things there are automated, but people go in to do technical and engineering work, programming, and other jobs. It kind of helped me understand that there are a lot of opportunities out there. There are a lot of companies coming to Syracuse and there will be a lot of jobs here. It showed me that I can always look at all my options – I don’t have to be focused on just one thing. It opened my eyes to a lot of stuff!”

“Robotics and STEM have been a side passion for me,” ITC junior Tristan Bey said. “I wanted to see what it was about! The Micron facility had a lot of robots and automation. I’d like to study film and literature in college – but it sounds like they have work in all kinds of areas. Maybe I could make commercials or something for them! This trip really opened my views. I spoke with some of the college students who were there, and they helped me realize that you can work in an area you’re passionate about and you can get paid well doing it – you just have to work hard and be good at it.”

“I’d like to study to be an ultrasound technician or do something with business management,” ITC senior Kennaja Thomas explained. “I wanted to go on this trip because it was my first time in DC, and I thought it would allow me to see new things and have new opportunities. I learned that Micron has really well-paid internships for college students in so many areas… I’d love to try to get one! One of the women who worked at Micron was talking to me and it really helped me feel prepared for my future. She told me that whatever it is that I want to do, she believes in me and that I can do it. It really encouraged me!”

Before heading home, students were invited to explore the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Washington Monument, Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, and other historic landmarks.

“We went to see all the DC landmarks,” Jayden added. “That was my first time being there. It was the closest I have ever gotten to the White House, and I saw the Washington Monument and the Capitol. The African American Museum was really nice – there was a lot of information to take in, and it was my favorite part of the whole trip.”

Thank you to Hillside, On Point for College, and Micron for making this trip possible for our students!

Your support makes HWSC and other Hillside programs possible. Donate to Hillside today.

Hillside teams were among the organizations earning honors in the 2023 Greater Rochester Quality Council (GRQC) Performance Excellence Awards. The annual ceremony was held Wednesday, October 11, at Locust Hill Country Club in Rochester.

The agency was lauded with two Gold Awards for Team Excellence: for the project “Improving Program Scorecard Process,” led by Jeremy Webster (pictured, left), Manager of Therapuetic Foster Care services in Hillside’s Central New York Region; and for the project “Improving Compliance with EMR Security Audits,” led by Sharon Gruttadauro, Quality Manager for Hillside’s Quality and Risk Management team.

The GRQC Performance Excellence Award Program helps organizations in all sectors of the economy gain valuable insights into strategic areas of their operations, connect with like-minded leaders in high performing organizations, and earn formal recognition for achieving excellence through continuous improvement methodologies.

In addition to Team Excellence, awards are also presented in the categories of Organizational Excellence and Customer Experience.

“Greater Rochester Quality Council is a champion for the highest standards of operational quality and process improvement that can benefit any organization,” said Darlene Ryan, Hillside’s Chief Performance Officer. “A GRQC award is a significant honor, and we’re delighted to see our teams recognized with two such awards this year. Our commitment to continuous improvement helps ensure that Hillside delivers programs of the highest possible quality to those we serve.”

Community support keeps Hillside Strong! Your donations help us remain innovative to better serve youth and families. Donate to Hillside today.

When Cindy Blosenhauer accepted a teaching position at Hillside’s Halpern Education Center last year, she was fulfilling a lifelong dream.

“I’ve wanted to teach since I was in the second grade, but life took me in different directions, including raising two kids,” says Blosenhauer, now 51. “This is my first full-time teaching job. I’m so excited to be here!”

One of the things that drew her to Hillside was the opportunity to work more closely with students on individualized instruction that met their unique needs. As part of that, she says, she envisioned a small space in the classroom that could be reserved for reading. “Some people think that kids just don’t like to read, but I think they do—they just don’t know it.”

Within a few months of her arrival, she had volunteered to take responsibility for the school’s library—a room in need of attention and imagination. “It was here, but nobody wanted to come in and I wanted to change that,” she says of the library space.

Following weeks of hard work and collaborations with her fellow staff, the Halpern Library re-opened earlier this year, better than ever. A room that previously stored books is now a reader’s paradise, with several thousand neatly shelved titles; tables and reading nooks carefully positioned around the space; and countless inspirational reading- and literature-themed messages adorning the walls.

“I wanted to make it beautiful, and intriguing,” Blosenhauer says. “One of the students saw a drawing of Peter Rabbit on the wall and asked about it, so I explained about Beatrix Potter and those stories. It started a conversation—that’s what a library should do.”

In addition to inspiring her students, her passion for teaching and reading has rubbed off on her son Emmett, who recently joined his mom at the same Hillside school as a Teaching Assistant.

“My daughter started kindergarten the day I went back to college, and we did our homework together at the kitchen table,” Blosenhauer recalls. “I love that they saw me do that, because it’s helped them have great respect for education.

“Getting back to school was a challenge, but I was glad to do it,” she adds. “And now it’s brought me here. I couldn’t be happier.”

Hillside is hiring for a wide variety of positions that support our mission. Find out more today.

Only a few years ago, Jovannie Canales and Melisa Rivera felt overwhelmed with concern for their son. Today, he’s on a better path—and his parents were so inspired by the support he received that they’re bringing that support to other families in need, every day.

It started when their son, 15 at the time, was experiencing real challenges including aggression and suicidal ideation. Jovannie and Melisa weren’t sure how to help.

“It felt like we were walking on eggshells,” Jovannie says of the struggles their son faced, as well as the whole family. “We knew he needed help, and wanted help. But we didn’t know what to do.”

Every parent only wants the best for their child, and Melisa will never forget the day a Hillside Family Peer Advocate came to their home, and listened. “She told us about how Hillside could help our family and our child,” Melisa remembers. “She was understanding and supportive of us, from day one. She gave us hope.”

A carefully coordinated array of services were introduced that offered support to Jovannie and Melisa’s son, as well as the entire family. “It took time, but he started doing better,” Jovannie recalls. “His anger decreased, and we started seeing the light at the end of the end of the tunnel.”

“He started smiling again,” Melisa adds. “The whole family received support that we really needed.”

The couple were so inspired by their positive experience with Hillside, they decided to join the agency as Family Peer Advocates themselves. After completing their training, they joined the Hillside family to provide other parents and children with the kind of positive support they received.

“It’s a true blessing to be part of Hillside,” Jovannie says. “We want to help other families who are in need. We can share our experiences with them, because we understand what they are feeling.”

Melisa nods. “We want them to know that there’s hope, and they are not alone.”