AJ at Davis Cup circa 2016
Each student starts their KCTL journey at a different point. For AJ Esperanza, his journey started in 2015, at a small court tucked between the high rises that make up Sumner houses, hitting red balls on a Saturday morning. Throughout the years, he progressed as a player through our community tennis and UpSwing programs, then to a volunteer-in-training, and eventually, all the way to a Site Assistant, one of KCTL’s paid youth assistant coaches.
AJ with his sister, Janelly, and mom, Ivelisse, at Connect at the Net 2022
Apart from serving as an example and mentor to younger students in our program, AJ also distinguished himself as a star student at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brighton Beach. After graduating from high school this Spring, AJ will continue his educational career at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. We are so proud of AJ, all that he has accomplished thus far, all that he will accomplish, and we cannot wait to see where the future takes him!