From Students to Leaders - for Life: Leaders for Life Academy celebrates graduates at commencement ceremony

Newark, NJ—Leaders for Life Academy—a member of the Newark Youth Workforce Collaborative—recently held a graduation ceremony for its newest cohort of graduates at the Parsonnet-Danzis Auditorium inside Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. The ceremony, which was held on November 10th, celebrated the 9 students who completed the four-month Out-of School (OOS) program for those who are looking to attain a High School Equivalency (HSED) diploma, according to Founder and Executive Director Altarik White. 

Leaders for Life Academy prepares students, ages 16 to 25, for the High School Equivalency (HSED) exam and partners with several organizations, including Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), which provides a curriculum that helps young people “build confidence, help them with resume writing, and help them with interview skills,” according to White. Leaders for Life also taps into the resources of other Collaborative members, including United Community Corporation (UCC), which offers job training in construction, allied health, and other industries.

Many Leaders for Life graduates continue on their path toward postsecondary success, including a recent graduate that received a full scholarship to study journalism at Seton Hall University.

“[The graduates have] all grown expeditiously,” added White. “We do a great job with our counselors, removing barriers that prevent them from coming to school. Many of them are parents. So through our partnership with Program for Parents, we were able to get them childcare so they can come to school. Giving them the emotional support, the counseling, the education…I've seen many of them grow leaps and bounds.”

In addition to the OOS program, Leaders for Life Academy also offers a Middle School Transition to High School program which the organization developed that, “provides the groundwork for students to have a successful beginning to high school, which helps families and students have a greater peace of mind.”

“The work that Altarik and Leaders for Life are doing, and the results they are achieving, are commendable,” said Robert Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN), the backbone of the Collaborative. “Congratulations to all of the young people celebrating their graduation. It is yet another milestone on their path to postsecondary success.”

NOYN Chief Program Officer Jasmine Joseph-Forman, who delivered the keynote address at the graduation, encouraged the students to continue pushing themselves forward. “While you may not be able to inspire the entire world to strive for success and find their purpose in life, you do have the power to achieve it for yourself. My challenge to each graduate and everyone in this room is to do all that you are able to do to reach your full potential.”

To learn more about these programs and others, you can visit the organization’s website: www.leaders4lifenj.org or contact info@leaders4lifenj.org.