Senate Resolution No. 4126

BY: Senator COMRIE

CONGRATULATING Cayla D. Kumar upon the occasion of
being crowned Miss New York's Outstanding Teen

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to act to honor
today's young people, the leaders of tomorrow, whose character and
achievements exemplify the ideals and values cherished by this great
State and Nation; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate Cayla D. Kumar upon the occasion of being crowned Miss New
York's Outstanding Teen on Saturday, April 7, 2018; prior to this
competition, she won the Miss Bronx's Outstanding Teen Pageant; and

WHEREAS, With this monumental win, Cayla D. Kumar will represent New
York State in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen competition in July,
to be held in Orlando, Florida; and

WHEREAS, The Miss New York's Outstanding Teen Organization
recognizes young women around the Empire State for their talents,
scholastic achievement and community service; by the young age of 15,
Cayla D. Kumar has already donated more than 4,100 hours of her
precious time and energy to serving others; and

WHEREAS, Cayla D. Kumar also cooks meals for families of sick
children at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Long Island, and
raises funds for children's cancer research through her Gold Ribbon
Project: Curing Pediatric Cancer initiative; and

WHEREAS, Cayla D. Kumar finds time in her busy schedule to
participate in various pageants on the local, state, national, and
international levels, where she takes great pride in serving as an
advocate for pediatric cancer research; classically trained in Indian
dances from the Sadhanalaya School of Dance and the Natraj Center for
the Performing Arts, she performs Bollywood dances for the audience; and

WHEREAS, Cayla courageously decided to channel grief into action
after she witnessed first-hand the heartbreaking reach of cancer when
she lost her great-grandmother to breast cancer; and

WHEREAS, Following her victory in the inaugural Young Voice of New
York City talent competition, Cayla was crowned as the first-ever youth
ambassador to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, an institution
dedicated to defeating the scourge of pediatric cancer, where she found
kindred dreamers and leaders in her pursuit of the same goal; and

WHEREAS, By the age of 13, Cayla Kumar had raised $25,000 for St.
Jude Hospital, and, possessing a heart and soul eternally restless in
endeavoring to triumph in the long march toward a cure and a more
hopeful tomorrow for the youngest and sickest among us, has dedicated
herself to raising a total of $2.7 million for that same hospital, which
shines, like she does, as a beacon of hope for countless families forced
to find hope when it is scarce; and


WHEREAS, Currently, Cayla D. Kumar is a student at Archbishop Molloy
High School, in Briarwood, New York; after she graduates in 2020, she
plans to attend Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland,
in hopes of becoming a pediatric oncologist; and

WHEREAS, Cayla's fortitude and resolve in working indefatigably to
eradicate this increasingly rampant disease was further bolstered after
her seven-year-old cousin was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor; and

WHEREAS, For her steadfast and unremitting commitment to her
community and her passion for eradicating pediatric cancer, Cayla D.
Kumar is the recipient of five Presidential Volunteer Service Awards; in
2015, she received the New York State Governor's Recognition Award, 3C
Award, and Public Advocate of New York City Award; and

WHEREAS, Cayla D. Kumar is an exemplary young woman who will
undoubtedly leave her mark on the lives of those she has touched
personally through her promotion, leadership, and passion for her
community and fellow New Yorkers, and it is clear that in the many years
she has left she will do all she can to shape our collective humanity to
be more compassionate, loving, and responsive to the needs of those who
suffer; and

WHEREAS, The children of New York's immigrants and the young women
of New York State have both contributed greatly to the cause of
history's progress, breaking down traditional barriers and beating
expectations, and Cayla Kumar, being both a young woman and a
first-generation American, carries on this long tradition of activism
and leadership into the newest generation of those for whom future
successes are all but inevitable; and

WHEREAS, Cayla D. Kumar exemplifies the potential inherent in our
young women; she is an outstanding role model for her peers and for the
young people with whom she works and stands with poise and purpose to
face the challenges of new experiences; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Cayla D. Kumar upon the occasion of being crowned Miss New
York's Outstanding Teen, with the anticipation of her continued
exemplary representation of the people of this great Empire State; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Cayla D. Kumar.