New York One (NY1) Local News

Dariel Vasquez says he got lucky. Growing up in the Manhattanville public housing complex in Harlem, he had a supportive household, excelled in high school and benefitted from mentoring programs.

Vasquez became the first in his family to go to college, when he enrolled at Bard, a liberal arts school north of the city, on a full academic scholarship. However, transitioning to a predominantly white institution was a tough adjustment. Vasquez says he contemplated dropping out during his first semester.

"I had to think about what got me there in the first place, and it was having those support networks,” Vasquez says.

The more he talked about his situation, the more he realized he was not alone. Other students of color faced challenges as well.

That's when Vasquez founded Brothers at Bard.