On the date of Saturday, February 1, 2020, three alumni from the College Experience set off on a road and train trip with their Media and Activities Liaison all the way to New York City. Staff drove everyone from Albany to the Poughkeepsie Train Station. Upon our arrival, we painted the town red with an entire day of fun and Broadway magic.
Our first stop was the streets of New York City where a gigantic Elmo took a selfie of us! Shortly after that fantastical encounter we had lunch at TGI Fridays before heading to the Amsterdam Theatre to see Aladdin. It brought back the magic of the Disney animated classic from the early 1990s and the character of Jafar was portrayed by the original actor named, Jonathan Freeman who provided the voice for the 1992 Disney masterpiece.
The fun did not stop there because after the show, staff escorted David, Jessica, and Mia to a gourmet restaurant called, “Quality Eats.” Dinner was on staff who used a $500.00 gift certificate that he had won at a previous Alumni Activity during a raffle for EPIC Players, which is a neuro-diverse theatre group featuring professional performers with disabilities.
The Alumni Activities Club could not exist without the constant input and ideas from the alumni that run it with only necessary assistance from staff! We look forward to more planned adventures especially as the weather inevitably begins to become warmer and more options are available.
What comes after graduation? Many College Experience students, in fact most, choose to remain in Albany. They maintain friendships with their fellow and former graduates, form romantic partnerships, and some get married.