Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Joseph Durney of STEER.
Your Name: Dr. Joseph Durney
Name of your organization: STEER for Student Athletes, Inc.
Your role: CEO
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s missionÂ
Durney: STEER provides individualized mentorship, services, and financial support to ensure students thrive academically, develop socially and emotionally, and excel athletically. STEER removes obstacles that inhibit holistic student development and provides alternative positive support; this support allows program participants to develop college and career readiness skills and personal competencies that will empower them to become positive contributors in a global society while improving family and community outcomes.
How long have you operated in Rye?Â
Durney: We have operated in Rye and Port Chester for 12 years, founding our organization in Rye in 2012.Â
What programming or work in Rye is the organization best known for?Â
Durney: STEER provides support services that include social, academic, and athletic assistance to individual student athletes. This enables them to graduate high school, prepare for further education, and/or enter the workforce. The organization achieves these objectives by employing “STEER Advisors,” who are responsible for tracking and assessing the needs of the selected student athletes.
Looking forward to 2026, what will be your top initiatives?Â
Durney: As students move from high school to college, STEER supports them every step of the way through our College Transition Program. We prepare seniors for success by offering an expanded summer program that now reaches an additional 150 students and extends over a longer period of time. The program provides immersive experiences, mentorship, and skill-building to ensure both academic readiness and personal growth.
Beyond the classroom, we connect students with internships aligned to their majors and interests. To promote equity, we award scholarships for unpaid opportunities, recognizing that many students depend on seasonal income. In addition, we offer a range of health and wellness programs, including our Peak Mental Game initiative, which helps students measure, train, and strengthen mental skills while building the mindset needed to perform at the highest level.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.Â
Durney: The population we serve are students in the Port Chester Schools, Yonkers City Schools, Schools of the Tarrytown, and New York City Schools.Â
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?Â
Durney: Yes
Looking back across 2025, what were your organization’s top achievements?Â
Durney: Our 2025 program accomplishments include:
- Largest graduating class to date: 37 high school seniors heading to colleges nationwide, including the University of Pennsylvania, Howard University, Villanova, University of Tampa, UConn, and the University of Rhode Island; SUNY and CUNY schools such as Binghamton, Buffalo, Albany, and City College; and local private colleges including Mercy, Manhattanville, Sacred Heart, and Pace.
- Milestone achievement: Reached the 225 by 2025 goal, delivering direct support to 225 students over the past five years. Building on this momentum, the next target is 350 students by 2030, with expanded services extending through college and into career development.
- Career impact: Students secured internships and jobs with leading organizations such as EY, PwC, Boston Consulting Group and NBC Sports.
- St. Vincent’s Hospital, Purchase College, Amazon, and the Port Chester Police Department.
- Record student engagement: Served 135 students across high school and college programs in 2025.
- Wellness innovation: Launched and completed a research partnership with the University of Michigan to study mental and physical health outcomes in college students
- Celebrating success: Hosted the largest graduation banquet yet at the Westchester Country Club, awarding more than $30,000 in scholarships.
- Expanding college readiness: Ran the second annual College Transition Conference, featuring skill-building workshops and the first Career Networking Fair, connecting 70+ students with 40+ professionals across industries.
How can local residents support your organization?Â
Durney:Â
- Financial Contributions
- Multi-Year Pledges: Commit to supporting multiple student-athletes over five years. Options include:
- One-Time Sponsorships: Provide targeted support for specific initiatives.
- Ambassador Program: Become a STEER Ambassador by directly sponsoring a student-athlete. This involves a $5,000 annual commitment per student, covering academic, athletic, health services, and mentorship costs. Ambassadors can engage with their sponsored students through updates and events, fostering a personal connection.Â
- Volunteer Opportunities: STEER collaborates with various organizations to support student success. Individuals interested in volunteering can contact STEER directly to explore potential opportunities.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?Â
Durney: The Abate, O’Callaghan, Tucci, Le Gaye, Scully, Keough, Eck, Harrington, Samberg, Keenan, Heffernan, Davis, and other families have been generous donors for years, continuing their support to this day. Their contributions have been instrumental in helping us expand and enhance our programming, enabling us to serve hundreds of students over the past decade. With their unwavering support, STEER has provided critical mentorship, educational resources, and athletic opportunities that empower students to succeed in school and life.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?Â
Durney: I am a founder and I have been CEO for 5 years and a board member for 13 years.
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?Â
Durney: It is now full time, but I spent the first seven years building the organization as a volunteer.Â
How would your friends and family describe you in one word? Durney: Selfless
Where did you grow up?Â
Durney: New Jersey, student athlete in the Toms River Schools. Captain of my football team, baseball team and played on multiple HS state championship teams.Â
What principles guide you when you have to make a difficult decision?Â
Durney: My ethical north star is always what is in the best interest of the communities we serve.Â
Can you share a time when failure taught you more than success ever could?Â
Durney: As a former high school coach of multiple sports, I have had many losses that have led to lessons of great value. The important thing has always been to find the opportunity in every adversity and to transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones!Â
What excites you most about the future—for yourself or for the world?Â
Durney: The advent of technology will reframe how people find opportunities for real connection, and there is no better place than sport to do so!Â
Where do you live and how many years have you lived there?Â
Durney: I live in Port Chester, where I served as an educator for 35 years, from the classroom to the board room. After experiences as a teacher, coach, and administrator, I rewired from educational leadership to nonprofit leadership.
Thanks Joe!
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