Our CEO, Fred Erlich as well as the Media and Activities Liaison, Jesse Saperstein had the chance to participate in a wonderful event at the Schenectady Jewish Community Center (JCC) located in Niskayuna, NY. The event began with a screening of the independent film, “Keep the Change,” which was directed by Rachel Israel and won the top prize at the Tribeca Film Festival. It depicts a turbulent romance between two adults on the autism spectrum and the actors are all individuals with autism in real-life.
The film was followed by Fred and Jesse speaking about the innovative programs within Living Resources, Inc., with a particular focus on the College Experience and its new partnership with Schenectady Community College, CareerNext. Audience members asked many questions about the internships as well as the success rate of graduates.
We expressed how we are quite proud of our students who make the major move to live apart from their families with a commitment to a busy schedule of classes and evening activities. We explained that the majority of our graduates choose to remain in the Capital Region and continue their journey under the guidance of Living Resources, Inc. We cater internships to the specific interests of our individuals and encourage them to continue these passions in their future.
We mentioned that one of our graduates, Jordan is currently enjoying his new career working at a brewery where one of his duties involves (in his own words) “tasting the product for work purposes only.”
We thank Judy Ben-Ami for arranging this incredible event as well as all associates of the Schenectady Jewish Community Center. They have been generous enough to feature the artwork of some of our individuals prominently on display in the lobby that is on sale for art connoisseurs at a reasonable price.
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.