We are pleased to announce the selection of Quemuel Arroyo as the recipient of the 2025 Greg Farrell Award. The Award recognizes and celebrates Quemuel’s extraordinary resilience in the face of adversity, his adventurous spirit, and his deep commitment to being of service to others.

This annual Award was established to celebrate the life and honor the legacy of Greg Farrell, who passed away in 2020. Greg was a visionary educator and nonprofit leader whose many accomplishments included serving as the longtime Executive Director of the Fund for the City of New York, a founder of NYC Outward Bound Schools, and the founding President of EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning). The Award carries with it a $5,000 cash prize.

Richard Stopol, President Emeritus of NYC Outward Bound Schools and a member of the Award Selection Committee offered the following observation about Quemuel and his worthiness for this Award: “Through his work and personal example, Quemuel is someone who brings to life the words of the Award tagline: ‘lighting sparks, living boldly and leaving the world a better place.’ Like Greg, he exhibits an infectious enthusiasm and a relentless drive to lift up other people.”

Quemuel, who currently serves as the Chief Accessibility Officer for New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), joins a distinguished group of previous Award recipients: Pascale Florestal (2020); Moses Ssenyonjo (2021); Tonya Dreher (2022); David Adams (2023), and Fatimah Carmen Luisa Martinez Santiago (2024), each of whom are transforming lives and serving as sources of inspiration and hope through the work they do.

In Quemuel’s case, his interest in serving his community began to take root in high school when he attended two different NYC Outward Bound partner schools — one in the Bronx and the other in Manhattan — absorbing Outward Bound’s “we are crew, not passengers” ethos and applying it to his own life.

A pivotal point in his life came during his senior year in high school when he experienced a devastating bicycle accident, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. After a grueling 10-month stint at the Rusk Rehabilitation Institute, Quemuel began to navigate the city in a wheelchair, realizing that many of the systems were not built with him in mind. His own lived experiences have empowered him to help redesign these systems and expand accessibility for all, taking to heart the words of Outward Bound’s founder Kurt Hahn to “let your disability be your opportunity.” He is a passionate champion and advocate for others with disabilities.

Quemuel is an avid rock climber, skydiver, scuba diver, sailor and dancer. His civic activities and affiliations are numerous and varied. He is an alumni trustee at NYU and serves on the boards of NYC Outward Bound Schools, Hudson River Community Sailing (where he helped design an adaptive sailing program), and the Heidi Latsky Dance Company (where he also dances).

Upon being notified that he was selected as this year’s Award recipient, Quemuel commented: “I am honored to receive the Greg Farrell Award. Greg’s commitment to public service and education has profoundly shaped my educational journey and inspired me to remain a curious, lifelong learner. I believe he would agree that there is no higher calling than a life devoted to serving others. It is a privilege to celebrate and carry forward Greg’s legacy today and always.”