Beat the Streets New York adds 3 AmeriCorps staff members

Justin Harmon, Jessica Kemgne and Katrin Pokalyukhin are all BTSNY alumni.

Beat the Streets New York's Board of Directors and Executive Director Brendan Buckley are pleased to announce the addition of three AmeriCorps staff members for 2022-23.

Katrin Pokalyukhin and Jessica Kemgne return for a second straight year as Development VISTA and Junior League Assistant Coach, respectively. Justin Harmon joins the team as the High School Assistant Coach. All three are BTSNY alumni.

Pokalyukhin, who works under Fund Development Manager Kerry Doyle, played an important role in planning for this past year's year-end campaign and Annual Benefit. She will continue to work in fundraising efforts for BTSNY programs. In high school, she captured two city championships for Brooklyn Technical High School. She was also the first female wrestler at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Kemgne, a 2021 Inwood Academy alumnae, will continue to coach student-athletes and assist with Junior League Academy Days. She will work with Youth Programming Manager Narankhuu Ganbaatar, who runs the Junior League. In high school with BTSNY, she earned All-American honors at junior nationals in 2021 and received the 2020 Female Mentor of the Year award. She is majoring in political science and French at Fordham University, while also training at New York City Regional Training Center.

Harmon will support high school programing and student-athletes. He will also support Head Girls Coach Becka Leathers and new Head Boys Coach Joe DeAngelo by serving as a coach at Training Center practices, camps and competitions.

Harmon, a 2020 Wingate High School alumnus and city championships place-winner, is pursuing a degree in homeland security at Middlesex Community College. He is also a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard.

Since being founded in 2005, BTSNY has pioneered a movement that now includes 150 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league.

BTSNY works to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and strengthen the New York City wrestling culture. We aim to make a lifelong impact on student athletes through the lessons learned on the wrestling mat -- discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Discover how you can make a meaningful contribution to our work at btsny.org/donate.