New York Jets player James Ihedigbo surprised the staff and students at P.S. 86 on April 6, 2011 with a visit to the school based in Jamaica, Queens. Upon arrival, Ihedigbo stopped to take photos with school security who seemed more excited than the little ones for his visit. Ihedigbo proceeded to meet and have lunch with P.S. 86’s Principal Karen Zuvic before surprise visits to two separate classrooms. He met with a 3rd grade class and a 5th grade class, where autographed prizes were distributed to the youth as part of a trivia game to encourage the students to excel academically. He then proceeded to the auditorium where he met with over 100 additional students who had participated in a Jets drawing contest earlier in the year.
Ihedigbo shared some of the following tips with the students on how to achieve better grades: better attendance; taking proper notes; paying attention and asking questions in class; completing in class and homework assignments; studying for exams; seeking tutoring; and more.
Ihedigbo founded the HOPE Africa Foundation in 2008 to help provide educational services for underprivileged communities in Africa. The foundation offers a wealth of assistance to these communities in the form of scholarships, mentoring, funding, and developmental projects Overall the event was a big hit and the Principal has since adopted him as her second son.
