Author: telegraphdev

Birmingham Promise opens door for Parker graduate to launch skilled trade career

Posted on January 31, 2024

As a young student at Parker High School, LaDarius Smaw did not have a plan for the future.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do after graduation,” said Smaw, who grew up in Ensley. “I didn’t think I was going to college.”

But when a school counselor shared details of Birmingham Promise, Smaw started thinking about his options and he realized he had more than he thought. “Give it a shot,” he told himself. “Give it a try.”

He applied for a Birmingham Promise scholarship.

Through the Promise application process, he got connected to Lawson State Community College’s career/tech program and to other applications for financial aid. He graduated from Parker in 2021 and earned his welding certificate in less than two years, with the cost fully covered. As it turned out, he did not need financial assistance from Birmingham Promise, but he benefited from the program’s coaching services and from knowing that Promise assistance was there if other aid fell through.

“It was cool,” Smaw said of his time at Lawson State. “I learned a lot.”

Since then, he has joined Local Union 91, where he is working as an apprentice on his way to becoming a journeyman pipefitter and plumber.

“I started my first job back in September,” he said. “I’m learning every day. I go out with people who have a lot of experience, and I am picking up more and more knowledge on the job. You can learn more hands-on, or at least I do.”

While his career plans shifted from welding, the program at Lawson State gave him a basic foundation of technical knowledge that provided another building block on his way to his career as a skilled tradesman.

He wants to encourage students in Birmingham City Schools to take advantage of Birmingham Promise, even if they are unsettled about what they want to do or don’t think they have many options.

“Back when I was in high school, I never thought I’d be able to do what I do now,” Smaw said. “I tell people if the opportunity is there, always take it. The sky’s the limit. The possibilities are here, you’ve just got to go get them. Never give up.”

Birmingham Promise named finalist in Birmingham Business Journal’s 2024 Nonprofit Awards

Posted on January 22, 2024

Birmingham Promise is honored to be included this year among the finalists for Top Young Nonprofit as the Birmingham Business Journal revives its nonprofit awards. https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2024/01/02/bbj-unveils-2024-nonprofit-awards-finalists.html

“Being included among this worthy group of finalists is a real compliment to our organization and to our team,” said Samantha Williams, executive director of Birmingham Promise. “It is a recognition of where we have come in such a short time as we work to provide college and career opportunities to students in Birmingham City Schools.”

The BBJ awards recognize the important role nonprofits play in Birmingham, both as an industry and in the missions they serve. The awards recognize nonprofit organizations as well companies and volunteers that support them.

Finalists will be honored and winners will be announced at an event March 7 at The Fennec. Honorees also will be recognized in the March edition of the Birmingham Business Journal.

Congratulations to all the finalists – we are grateful to be in your company! And thanks, BBJ!

Jacksonville State graduates its first Birmingham Promise scholar

Posted on December 18, 2023

‘Thanks to Jacksonville State for highlighting its first Birmingham Promise graduate! Ashia Hudson graduated Dec. 15 with a degree in social work. Congratulations, Ashia! Read more of her story at https://www.jsu.edu/news/articles/2023/12/jsus-first-bham-promise-scholar-to-graduate-on-dec-15.html.

By Brett Buckner

On Friday, Dec. 15, around 500 graduates are expected to cross the stage at Pete Mathews Coliseum. After shaking the president’s hand and posing for photos, each will take their first steps into a future, diplomas in hand.

Among those celebrating this next chapter will be Ashia Hudson, who is the first Birmingham Promise scholarship recipient to graduate from the university.

“It feels good that I can shed light on a great opportunity for those that are coming after me so that they can take advantage of it and use it to their full potential,” said Hudson. “I am happy and excited that I am able to have a positive outcome from accepting and using the scholarship.”

The Birmingham Promise provides up to four years of tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools who attend public colleges and universities in Alabama. Through JSU’s partnership with the program, 137 students have received more than $1.1 million in funding over the past three years.

“It is extremely rewarding to see the first of many students in this program reach that final milestone and graduate from Jax State,” said Logan DeBoer, JSU’s Associate Director of Scholarships. “Birmingham Promise is such an impactful program because they provide financial support to deserving students who may not have initially been able to access college otherwise. Students like Ashia are great examples of how hard work and opportunity can result in incredible success.”

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in social work, Hudson will attend the Advance Standing Program for Social Work, with the intention of completing a master’s degree in December 2024.

“My JSU journey has been one to remember,” Hudson said. “I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me.”

Hudson’s big day was included in news coverage about JSU’s graduation:

https://calhounjournal.com/birmingham-promise-scholar-makes-history-as-jacksonville-state-university-gears-up-for-fall-commencement/

https://www.wbrc.com/2023/12/16/jacksonville-state-university-graduates-preparing-future/

Balch & Bingham, McKinney Capital lead the way on Birmingham Promise fundraiser

Posted on November 20, 2023

Birmingham Promise teamed up recently with City Club Birmingham for the second annual “Night of Promise” to raise money for scholarships and internships for students in Birmingham City Schools.

The event was a great success, and Birmingham Promise is especially indebted to the presenting sponsors, Balch & Bingham and McKinney Capital. By supporting Birmingham Promise, these Birmingham businesses are supporting students in Birmingham City Schools and investing in the future of our city.

Both firms have a strong record of community involvement and business success.

Balch & Bingham was founded in 1922 and has long been regarded as one of Alabama’s top-tier law firms. It now has more than 200 attorneys throughout the Southeast, Texas and Washington, D.C.

McKinney Capital is a private, family-owned investment firm that grew out of a satellite-installation business started three decades ago by Roddy and Janice McKinney. It exclusively invests in field services businesses – that is, businesses deploying mobile technicians who serve commercial or residential consumers.

Thanks to the support of businesses like Balch & Bingham and McKinney Capital, Birmingham Promise is able to provide a range of college and career opportunities to students in Birmingham City Schools, including paid internships and up to four years of tuition-free college at public higher education institutions in Alabama. The goal is to remove financial barriers to a college education, foster professional skills and allow students to pursue their dreams.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the investments of our local business community,” said Samantha Williams, executive director of Birmingham Promise. “We are so grateful to business leaders who recognize that investing in education doesn’t just nurture the future of individual students but also the future of our city. We are literally unleashing our own potential when we provide a pathway to success for these students.”

Since its launch in 2020, Birmingham Promise has provided 1,000 graduates with tuition assistance and other supports for college, and has provided 200 Birmingham high-school students with paid internships.

“By facilitating these opportunities, Balch & Bingham and McKinney Capital are actively nurturing Birmingham’s next generation of leaders,” Williams said. “Together, we are working to secure an even brighter future for our city, one student at a time.”

A day in the life of an entrepreneur

Posted on October 24, 2023
By Kaleb Carson, Birmingham Promise intern, Huffman High School Student 

On October 5, 2023, I visited Corey Bishop’s shop, Refresh Clothing in Five Points West-Ensley. As I entered the store, I felt the welcoming atmosphere of the shop and Mr. Corey Bishop. I appreciated the presence of someone who was hands-on with his customers and that’s what makes Mr. Corey different from any other clothing entrepreneur. Usually when I enter a clothing store, it’s hard to pick out a piece of clothing to match the new shoes I picked up, but Mr. Corey has his shop designed to where I could just walk in and find an outfit automatically. The store had everything separated on both sides of the store, with both walls filled with coordinated clothing. That makes it very easy and accessible for anyone from ages 5-75 to shop.

Being in the store with Mr. Corey taught me that his path wasn’t always easy. He started off selling clothes from the trunk of his car in 2005, taking a risk on trying to be successful and not being afraid to be different, while overcoming some personal hurdles and mistakes. Fast forward to now, it paid off well for him, inspiring me to do something different from my peers and making me more confident in thinking outside the box and taking a risk. When Mr. Corey told me that if I can find something I would do for free and really enjoy it, imagine what could come of that if I applied myself to learn more and get paid to do it that really stuck with me. That’s a very important note I took from Mr. Corey. He also had me try on a new jacket that had just arrived in the store. The quality of the jacket was great!

On the road to success, Mr. Corey didn’t do everything by himself. He had the help of a mentor who guided and motivated him. I now know that everyone needs to shadow after someone and have others help them along the way, because learning from others will take us a long way. Mr. Corey even talked about how his participation in Prosper’s Team UP program has truly helped his store and him.

In addition to his clothing store, Mr. Corey has another store located in the same shopping center in Five Points West-Ensley called Twice as Nice Water Ice. They serve delicious flavored, frozen ice, hot dogs, chips, and more. Someone owning two shops in one shopping center is unprecedented, but Corey Bishop has done it. I know that if he can do it, I can do it, too, as long as I stay focused, allow others to help me and find something I love to do.

Congratulations to Jamarean Heard on publishing his first article as an AL.com intern!

Posted on September 22, 2023

We’re proud of Birmingham Promise intern Jamarean Heard and grateful to our employer partner AL.com for offering him an opportunity to gain experience working in journalism.

Read the first of what we hope will be many stories by Jamarean! https://www.al.com/news/2023/09/montevallo-to-add-two-electric-vehicle-charging-stations.html

Recent graduate: Birmingham Promise internship changed my life

Posted on August 3, 2023

My name is Kelsey Liptrot, and I recently graduated from Ramsay IB High School. This past spring, I had the opportunity to be a Birmingham Promise intern at Prosper, and then I returned as a college summer intern. Prosper is a non-profit organization that aligns the region and accelerates progress towards a shared vision for transformational inclusive economic growth. The organization’s primary focus is to support people of color and women in their businesses and to advance the economy for people who can work but are unemployed.

During the spring portion of my internship, my supervisor was Aubrie Strange, the fundraising

manager. With her as my supervisor, I assisted in connecting with businesses with the same mission and values as Prosper in order to partner with them and receive grants.

Working alongside Aubrie was a pleasure as she played two different roles in my life. One as a supervisor and two as a mentor. She helped me learn abundant information about what it is like to work for a non-profit and about life in general.

Being an intern at Prosper has brought me so many networking opportunities. I have been able to connect with people and organizations outside of Prosper and make connections I will have throughout college and even after.

After months of working at Prosper, I gained an experience that many of my peers did not get. I have listened to board meetings, acquired volunteer opportunities, significantly improved my networking skills, and so much more.

After my internship ended in the spring, I was delighted when I was asked to return in the summer to start work again. Within one week of returning, I had written a press release and news article, joined meetings, and attended a leadership retreat.

My experience at Prosper has been nothing short of amazing. The people who work here are welcoming, hard-working individuals who strive to accomplish Prosper’s mission. More than anything, however, Prosper is a team. Everything Prosper does is done in unity. Being exposed to this type of solidarity in the workplace at my age has been valuable because it has set the tone for all future jobs I will have.

As I continue my journey to my first year at Auburn University, I have some key takeaways from being an intern at Prosper. One is how to work in unity with others, a skill I will use indefinitely throughout college. The networking skills I’ve acquired throughout my internship are another skill I will benefit from in college, as the connections I make with others are essential to professional success. Working at Prosper helped me to manage my time and productivity levels. Many of the projects I was assigned had no specific deadline; however, it was still up to me to get the job done efficiently and on time.

The most important lesson I believe I got from working at Prosper was the importance of doing what you love and have a passion for. The work done at Prosper is done so well because the people here have a passion for the work they do and genuinely want to see Birmingham become a better place for all. Throughout college, I must remember to pursue what I am passionate about and can make into a career.

Prosper has dramatically shaped my life, and I am forever grateful to the Birmingham Promise for giving me this opportunity. Any future interns at Prosper will have the best experience there. I know that no matter where I go, Prosper will always be a place of reconciliation. If ever allowed to work with the Birmingham Promise or Prosper, I highly encourage anyone to do so, as it will benefit your life for the better.

About Birmingham Promise

Birmingham Promise provides up to four years of tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools who attend public colleges and universities in Alabama. It also manages a paid internship program that allows high school seniors to build valuable work experience. For more information on Birmingham Promise, visit http://www.birminghampromise.org/ or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Ramsay High School alum graduates from University of Alabama with help from Birmingham Promise

Posted on July 27, 2023

For Jermerra Bailey, the question wasn’t whether she’d go to college. It was how far away from home and how far in debt she’d go to get a degree.

Birmingham Promise gave her the best answers on both fronts. The scholarship program expanded her options for colleges, while limiting the amount she had to borrow.

“I still had to get loans,” she said. “But without Birmingham Promise, I would have probably gotten larger loans. And I probably wouldn’t have gone to the University of Alabama honestly.”

The tuition assistance from Birmingham Promise gave her the luxury of choosing the college she really wanted to attend, rather than one closer to home that would have helped her shave some of the cost. “I could go to any public college in Alabama without any financial burden or stress,” she said. “It was very helpful.”

Jermerra was the second Birmingham Promise student to earn a four-year college degree, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Alabama in May 2023 with a degree in public health with a concentration in health professions. She starts graduate school at UAB this fall and wants to become an occupational health and safety specialist.

Jermerra was able to graduate college a year early because she started early, while still a student at Ramsay High School. Through the Upward Bound program, she earned dual enrollment college credits by taking courses in history, psychology, and other subjects at Lawson State Community College. Academically, this experience helped set her on a successful collegiate course.

“It definitely gave me a better understanding of how they run classes in college,” Jermerra said, “and how to organize my schedule.”

But what she wanted was the experience of going away to school and experiencing life on campus, meeting different kinds of people and participating in traditional college activities. And by that, she doesn’t just mean parties and fun.

In her case, that included participating in Project Health, an outreach promoting healthier living to students; Hands in Health, which provides professional development as well as an opportunity to do community service; and Collegiate 100, a community service auxiliary of 100 Black Men of America.

It also included joining Alpha Kappa Alpha and living in the sorority house for her last year at UA. While COVID restricted campus activities during her freshman year (as it had during her senior year in high school) Jermerra feels she experienced the best of college life during her time at UA.

“I got to make connections and meet people from everywhere,” Jermerra said.

About Birmingham Promise

Birmingham Promise provides up to four years of tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools who attend public colleges and universities in Alabama. It also manages a paid internship program that allows high school seniors to build valuable work experience. For more information on Birmingham Promise, visit http://www.birminghampromise.org/ or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Birmingham Promise to expand work-based learning programs with new funding from Birmingham City Schools

Posted on June 28, 2023

Birmingham Promise plans to expand its internship program and add new work-based learning opportunities next year for younger students in Birmingham City Schools, thanks to funding approved Tuesday by the Birmingham Board of Education.

The board approved $240,000 to allow Birmingham Promise to quadruple the number of seniors placed in internships and to develop new programs that will allow sophomores and juniors to participate in shorter-term “shadowing” opportunities in the workplace.

“Birmingham Promise is taking career preparation and exposure to a higher level for students in Birmingham City Schools,” said Samantha Williams, executive director of Birmingham Promise. “This is an enormous amount of growth for us. Our goal is to get every possible student in Birmingham City Schools high schools connected to some kind of Birmingham Promise work.”

For the most recent graduating class, internships were available only in the spring, and 50 seniors participated. Next year, internships will be available in both the fall and spring, and the goal is to have 100 students participating each semester. The funding from Birmingham City Schools will support the expansion by helping Birmingham Promise cover transportation expenses, provide professional development/training for interns, and host networking nights to bring students and employers together.

With the financial support from Birmingham City Schools, Birmingham Promise will also for the first time offer sophomores and juniors “shadowing” experiences where they’ll spend two days with professionals in a variety of fields to explore career opportunities. The goal is for 200 sophomores and 200 juniors to participate next year, hopefully setting the stage for full internships in the 12th grade.

“We want to get 10th- and 11th-graders caught up in all of this sooner,” Williams told the school board.

Board President Neonta Williams said recent graduations in Birmingham City Schools highlighted the effect Birmingham Promise is already having on students. “I think I saw even more this year, just the excitement behind our 2023 graduates,” she said. “They’ve all been talking about participating in the program.”

Huffman High’s Markelle Scott referred to his internship in his valedictory address, saying that his grandfather’s death to cancer gave him an interest in studying oncology and an internship in an oncology lab through the Birmingham Promise equipped him to pursue his dreams.

Even though Birmingham Promise dollars will also help him pay for college, Scott said he is “grateful especially for the internship” at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB that gave him an early jump in the field of cancer research.

“It was a very great experience that will help me later on in life,” Scott said. “Through the Birmingham Promise, I’m already set to go and be great in my career.”

Birmingham’s Superintendent, Dr. Mark Sullivan, said Birmingham Promise and Birmingham City Schools share the same goals.

“We’re both working to prepare students for the future,” Sullivan said. “The ultimate judge of our success is whether our students leave us and are in a position to fulfill their dreams. By working together, we can do more to put our students on that path to success.”

Birmingham Promise programs are available only for students at Birmingham City Schools. Since its creation in 2020, Birmingham Promise has provided 200 internships and $5.5 million in tuition assistance to 1,000 graduates of Birmingham City Schools. 

About Birmingham Promise

Birmingham Promise provides up to four years of tuition assistance for graduates of Birmingham City Schools who attend public colleges and universities in Alabama. It also manages a paid internship program that allows high school seniors to build valuable work experience. For more information on Birmingham Promise, visit http://www.birminghampromise.org/ or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.