Norwood News

Fordham Road, the largest shopping district in the Bronx, has two new faces. They’re young, smart and Dominican.

Sponsored by the Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID), the “Face of Fordham Road” contest attracted many worthy candidates. Three finalists made the final cut and two were chosen as the actual winners.

The two winners, Bronxites Carlos Beato and Katherine Mateo, received gift bags from local merchants and sponsors, a professional photo shoot and future exposure in BID literature and promotional materials.

Carlos Beato, a 23-year-old teacher born in the Dominican Republic, is all too familiar with Fordham Road. It’s where he shops, he says, and close to where he was educated.

A resident of the Bronx since the age of 5, Beato sees himself and Mateo representing a positive change in the way people view Fordham Road. “I like to see myself as inspiration for change in Fordham,” he said. “It makes me feel excellent.”

The co-winner, Mateo, is a 19-year-old student at Lehman College. She is a triple major in political science, physics and philosophy. “School is my life,” she said.

Also born in the Dominican Republic, Mateo has lived in the Bronx since she was 6. She is “proud for the distinction,” Mateo said. “I feel the Bronx is often so overlooked.”