Author Kareem Rosser visited The Library to share his journey from Philly’s inner city to national polo champion

Kareem Rosser was 8 when he went with his brothers to a horse stable close to his West Philadelphia home in Fairmont Park. Rosser began working at the stable after school and, equally important, was connected with tutors who helped the struggling student with his studies.

As it has done with hundreds of inner-city youth since 1994, the Work to Ride program in Chamounix Stables also gave him entre into a world generally reserved for the wealthy: polo.

“I like to think the program gave me essentially a second chance at life,’’ said Rosser, 29, who became a national polo champion and, along with other members of the Work to Ride team, has been featured in Ralph Lauren Polo ads. “It gave me the opportunity to achieve a world-class high school and college education, exposed me to a world outside my community, and it’s been a blessing to my family and me.’’

• Rosser, who recently wrote a book about his journey from the inner city to captaining the first all-Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship will visited Harrisburg on Thursday, February 24, as part of a special Library program.
• While in Harrisburg, he signed copies of his book, “Crossing the Line’’ at Good Brotha’s Book Café, 1419 N. 3rd St, Harrisburg.

Work to Ride’s founder, Lezlie Hiner, requires kids in the program to stay in school and maintain at least a C average, connecting them with local university students who serve as tutors. In return, the kids, who help maintain the stable, learn to ride and have the opportunity to learn polo and play on the program’s team and compete.

Rosser, a successful financial analyst in Philadelphia, met a family while competing in polo who underwrote his tuition at Valley Forge Military Academy, whose indoor polo arena is used by Work to Ride during cold weather. After graduating from the academy, he went to Colorado State University, playing on the school’s polo team and becoming U.S. Polo Association’s Intercollegiate Player of the Year in 2015.

He is still active with Work to Ride, serving as board treasurer and teaching polo. Rosser said he wrote his book and welcomes speaking engagements to show what is possible.

“I wanted to share our story in a way that hasn’t been told before,’’ he said of his book. “Our story has been shared nationally for many years but has only been told in bits and pieces. I wanted to share my perspective, and hopefully, it can inspire a few folks.’’

Rosser’s visit to Harrisburg was the inaugural event of a new collaboration between The Library and David Dix, co-founder and CEO of Luminous Strategies, the largest African American-owned lobbying firm in Pennsylvania. Dix and The Library plan to host several events with nationally-known thought leaders a year.