Here's to 2009

Hello Everyone,

I have to try my best to keep this blog updated. So many great things have been happening at our worksites and our transition sites as well as with our fast developing in-house work program.

First of all, there are the successes. At Fordham @ Lincoln Center, our newest worksite, John Diaz is going to be hired full time! John has only been there for 5 months and he made a great impression. I am always saying that we can get students into some great situations, places that they could not necessarily walk off the street and even get an interview. After that, it is up to you to make that impression and John did just that! Along with John, Jamel Gonzalez will be working at Fordham University in the beautiful Bronx part time on the weekends. I have known Jamel for many years and I had no doubt that he would be a success if he only had the opportunity.

Fordham University in the Bronx has been one of our great worksites for hiring students. Jeysson Santiago, a former Aim for Greatness star, is going to be hired this summer and Kevin Martinez, a student who was in AFG and Work Force, is also going to be hired once he turns 18. I am especially proud of how far Kevin has come and I know a lot of main site teachers who deserve credit for helping him along the way.

At the Armory, Angel Otero has been working as a custodial assistant at Truman High School. Angel's teachers, Mr. Kottkamp and Mr. Tribuzzio, deserve a great deal of credit for showing good work habits to Angel, although we all could agree that he is a very special, hard working young man who deserves credit himself for being present, punctual, prepared, polite and productive.

Angel is one of our Bronx Transition Center (BTC) students. This program, coordinated by Sam Seifman, has been a great success from the time that we inherited it from our friends at the Bronx OTC (P721x). In fact, Mr. Seifman just released figures on the 2006-07 BTC graduating class and 85% of them are currently working!

Mr. Seifman has been tracking our 2007-08 graduates and many of them are working as well. I want to point out a couple of students of note:

Lorraine Rivera and Cindy Falu, two students from our school who were with us for many years, are both working. Cindy works approximately 25 hours per week at Gristedes and Lorraine works at Children's Zone Baby College.

Angel Rodriguez is working at the Hilton Hotel, earning about $20 per hour. Jeffrey Jones is still working at Morningside Hospital, earning about $14 an hour for 20 hrs. per week.

I know that I am missing some important announcements but I will update everyone as soon as I remember or after I consult Ms. Girardat, our Job Developer.

Thank you for visiting!