Liberty Partnership Program Summer Employee Earns Scholarship for Essay

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Your first summer job.

Usually something you remember because it is a new experience where you are forced to step outside of your comfort zone as you take on new responsibilities and tasks.

It can leave an impact.

And it did just that for Albany High School senior, Boubacar Barrie, who won a $1,000 scholarship from MoreWithUs for his essay about the skills and lessons learned last summer while working at the Liberty Partnership Program (LPP), Summer Leadership Academy.

The UAlbany Liberty Partnership Program is housed in the School of Social Welfare. What began as a small program in 1988 to help encourage Albany 6th-12th graders to achieve academic, career and personal excellence has grown to serve approximately three hundred students annually.

By partnering with community-based organizations, local businesses, and the Albany City School District, the program aims to enhance students’ college and career access. This is not done without the dedication and commitment of Liberty staff, student interns, and volunteers, who provide case management, academic enrichment, mentoring, workforce and leadership development, and college preparation services year-round.

Boubacar was one of the high school students hired via the City of Albany’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and placed at LPP for the Summer Leadership Program. His involvement was not only a positive learning experience but gave him an opportunity to give back to his community.

His essay titled, “My Summer Work of Learning How to Work in Life: Overcoming the Challenges of an Everyday Job,” can be read online. It was chosen from over 500 submissions from high school and college students throughout the country.

Congratulations to Boubacar, who will be heading to Hudson Valley Community College in the fall.

For more information about the Liberty Partnerships Program at UAlbany, visit our website or contact Nyra Alexander-Lownes.