Nearly five years after the loss of Sayville teenager Jeyson Reyes, his legacy continues to grow through scholarships, community outreach, and acts of kindness in his name.
What began as a scholarship fund established after Reyes’ death in 2021 has evolved into the Live Like Jeyson Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to honoring the qualities that defined his life: compassion, generosity, and service to others.
The foundation is led by Jeyson’s mother, Jonneigh Adrion, a single mother and the Village Clerk of the Incorporated Village of Ocean Beach, who has transformed her personal loss into a mission to help others.
“The mission is to embody the qualities Jeyson had,” Adrion said. “Jeyson himself was a genuinely kind, caring, loving soul. He did things that were very impactful. He would give money from his own pocket, and we want to encourage people to live like him and do the things he would do for other people.”
Reyes, who attended Sayville High School, died at age 16 from a rare viral brain infection. Though his life was brief, his family says his impact on those around him continues to inspire the foundation’s work.
“As a young kid, Jeyson rescued six cats from Fire Island, and he was always giving back to the community,” Adrion said. “He couldn’t sit back and do nothing. He had the biggest heart, and we look for that heart.”
She also described how he carried books for injured classmates, sat with students who were alone at lunch, and routinely received citizenship awards for his actions.
“I would always tell Jeyson that it’s not just about academics in life; it’s about being a good person,” Adrion said. “From a young age, he had that. He was a good person.”
It is those same qualities, kindness, empathy, and a willingness to show up for others, that now shape the foundation’s most visible work: The Live Like Jeyson Scholarship. Unlike many scholarship programs, the award is not primarily based on grades or athletic achievements. Instead, the foundation seeks students whose actions reflect the qualities Reyes displayed throughout his life.
“The quality I look for is community involvement,” Adrion said. “For kids who are helping the community and have a history of doing so, more than the average adult.”
The scholarship application process is administered by Sayville High School and includes teacher recommendations. Many recipients have learning disabilities, a group Reyes’ family believes often receives less recognition despite overcoming significant challenges.
“Children with learning disabilities don’t receive the same accolades as athletes or academically successful students,” Adrion said. “Despite the odds against them, those students are often good people who want to help others.”
Since it was first awarded in 2023, the scholarship has steadily expanded, reflecting both the foundation’s growth and its commitment to recognizing students whose kindness might otherwise have gone unnoticed. In 2024, three students, James Marino, Allison McDonnell, and Tyler Sebor, received the award. In 2024, the following five recipients were selected: Thomas Gould, Summer O’Brien, Alec Robayo, Ebrahim Shah, and Thomas Robilotta. This year, that tradition continued with scholarships awarded to Liam Burke, Brandon Lepore, Saeeda Mokarram, Brody Walther, and Sydney Yalamas.
“Next year, we plan to give scholarships to BOCES students,” Adrian said. “They are students who don’t get nearly enough attention or encouragement, and I want to give them the boost they need to keep going.”
For Adrion, supporting students who might not otherwise receive that encouragement helps put the foundation’s mission into practice and ensures that Jeyson’s kindness continues to reach others in tangible ways.
“One of the things you don’t want when you lose a child is for the world to forget him,” Adrion said. “The scholarship is to keep his memory and spirit alive.”
The foundation’s work extends far beyond its annual scholarship, with all proceeds reinvested in the community through donations, outreach, and small acts of kindness carried out in Jeyson’s name.
Over the years, the foundation has supported local organizations, including the Fire Island School, Islip Animal Shelter, and the Greater Sayville Food Pantry, as well as larger charities such as the American Heart Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Each summer, around Jeyson’s birthday, the foundation hosts an Ocean Beach Town Pizza & Scoops Ice Cream Giveaway, a tradition that turns his memory into something joyful and communal. This year’s giveaway is scheduled for Aug. 21.
That same spirit also guides the foundation’s quieter acts of generosity. Through random acts of kindness, Adrion and other supporters have distributed cash and food gift cards in places ranging from Bay Shore and Patchogue to Los Angeles and San Francisco. She believes these small gestures can make a lasting difference, just as Jeyson did in his own life.
That spirit of generosity has shaped the community support for the foundation, including contributions from Joe Bonnacourt, proprietor of CJ’s Restaurant and Bar in Ocean Beach, who offered to host its upcoming fundraiser. Scheduled for July 11 from noon to 4 p.m., the event will feature raffles and donated prizes from local businesses and residents, including a Mexican vacation package, a dinner party for 10, bicycles, a tiki boat cruise, and much more.
For Adrion, the fundraiser exemplifies the overwhelming support from local businesses, homeowners, and community members. Ultimately, she hopes the foundation inspires others to embrace the simple acts of kindness that defined her son’s life.
“Having a positive experience is worth it, even if it just inspires one person to do one good thing once,” Adrion said.
For Reyes’ family, that ripple effect is exactly what it means to live like Jeyson.
