Asia Ambler, who works in the Windsor Central School District as the Rural School Mental Health Site Supervisor at Binghamton University Community Schools (BUCS), has earned the New York State Senate Commendation Award. She was one of four people NYS Senator Lea Webb honored for their work in the community in recognition of Black History Month.

“I’ve worked in youth development since I was a teen. I'm passionate about it. I’ve worked with Senator Webb in prior roles that she’s had. I've done a lot of community work supporting families and youth,” said Ambler.

In Windsor, Ambler oversees Binghamton University’s social work interns and coordinates mental health initiatives such as Chalk the Walk, family engagement events, and home visits to welcome new families to Windsor.

She’s created the drop-in space at Windsor Central High School, where students can speak with a counselor about any issues they have. Ambler also connects Windsor students with Binghamton University students for various reasons, including social-emotional support.

Ambler learned of the opportunity to work in Windsor through BUCS while at Cornell Cooperative Extension, where she spent over 10 years running community-based education programs.

“If I’m going to be serious about serving all kids, I know that rural communities are really underserved,” said Ambler. “It’s important to work not just in the Black community but also where I’m the only Black face in the room. I think diversity is important. It’s good to have another voice in the room. Building community is important and it transcends all of our identities.”

In addition to the New York State Senate Commendation Award, Ambler won the Black Excellence Youth Advocate Award in 2022, was named one of the Next Generation of Leaders in Afterschool by the National Afterschool Association in 2020, and worked as part of numerous initiatives to support at-risk youth, and address and reduce poverty.

In Windsor, Ambler is learning more about an area different from the ones she’s served before.

“I’ve learned the power of rural communities comes from within. People here take care of their community, and I admire that, especially as a Black American knowing how often you rely on the people around you to grow. I appreciate being welcomed into Windsor and seeing the amazing work they do, how they leverage their resources, never give up on their kids, and invest back into their community,” said Ambler.