'You can get there because I made it': Asbury Park students get first-day fraternity boost

ASBURY PARK - On the first day of school, brothers from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity visited Thurgood Marshall Elementary School to support, inspire and encourage the children to be great like the school's namesake.

"Now today I stand here, I see you, when I was in third grade I was in your shoes and I stand here today as an engineer because of where I came from, Asbury Park," Ricardo Fabien said. "You guys can do anything you want, and anything you can achieve and your dreams can be as big you can dream and you can get there because I made it."

For Fabien, returning to the elementary school on Monroe Avenue was special because he grew up in Asbury Park and went to Thurgood Marshall. He told the kids how after middle school in the district he went to High Technology High School in Middletown for engineering before attending The College of New Jersey.

Fabien was not alone but returning as one of the brothers from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., founded at Cornell University by seven students in December 1906, is the oldest Black Greek collegiate organization. Thurgood Marshall, the school’s namesake and the first African American Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.

On Thursday, the brothers of the Zeta Epsilon Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha greeted the students of Thurgood Marshall School in Asbury Park. Their chapter consists of physicians, attorneys, engineers, businessmen and educators.

"It is our goal to inspire the next generation in areas other than entertainment and sports," said Dr. Brian Roper, a doctor of internal medicine from Neptune.

Roper wished the students a very good academic year before echoing his fraternity brother.

"You can do whatever you want to do, whatever you want to be. I am a medical doctor, I was about 5 years old when I decided to become a doctor, or when my parents decided I would become a doctor more accurately," Roper said.

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He told the kids that he also went through the public school system.

"Never let anyone tell you that you cannot reach any goal you want to reach," Roper said.

After speaking to the children, the fraternity surprised them and passed out brand new backpacks.

Dr. Lauren Schulze, principal of Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, said "it's so touching" that the brothers came out on the first day of school.

"Last year we focused a lot (on Thurgood Marshall). It was my first year as principal, and the staff, students and I spent a lot of time focusing on who Thurgood Marshall was, the impact he had on the community as a whole, throughout our country and internationally and how his legacy will continue on in our school," Schulze said.

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She explained what the men speaking to the children meant for the school and the community.

"So to see male role models being able to come back to a school named after one of their fraternity brothers who dedicated his life to service and supporting others, and speak to our first-through-third-grade children as they embark on a fresh school year is so touching, so inspiring and I really feel it is going to be powerful not only for the children but for us as adults as well," Schulze said.

The chapter also hopes to work with the Asbury Park High School’s Dream Academy to develop leaders through SAT preparation, mentoring and career guidance.

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Thurgood Marshall students encouraged by namesake's fraternity