Courtney Loffler

SUNY Canton Liberty Partnerships Program Alumni

I graduated high school in 2018, I attended Ogdensburg Free Academy.

Currently I am attending SUNY Potsdam, I am majoring in Environmental Studies, and minoring in wilderness education. I am also a manager in training at Taco Bell.

I got involved in LPP when I was in 7th grade, LPP just started at my school and Renee contacted me and explained what it was about, I attended some of the field trips and instantly fell in love with the program, and what it had to offer me.

Some of my favorite activities/ programs that I was involved in through the program was the college visits, they really helped me figure out where and what I wanted to do before the time actually came. I was able to see what every college had to offer. I also enjoyed attending Aero-space camp every summer, I learned a lot and was able to attain future contacts with professors/ doctors. Another program I was really thankful for was the mentored work program, I was able to volunteer at different locations for 20 hours, doing this gave me an idea of what I did/did not want to do as an occupation later on in life, and I was able to work for money to put away for college.

Liberty Partnerships shaped my life in and out of the classroom by showing me how to prepare myself for the “real-world”. I learned the importance of time management and seeking help whether for my assignments or my own personal needs.

Out of all of my achievements, what I am most proud of is how far I have come so far in my journey of life, 5 years ago I was on the verge of dropping out of school and doing nothing. Now I am in my second year of college and becoming a manager at the age of 19. LPP showed me that even if you don’t come from a great background, working hard really does pay off and that you really can achieve what you want if you have a positive mind set and try your hardest.

A piece of advice that I have for current students would be that if you are struggling don’t keep it to yourself, talk to people, they are there to help you not drag you down, go to class and do your assignments it may seem terrible in that moment but a year from then you’re going to think back and say “that wasn’t so bad I could of tried a lot harder”. The last piece of advice I have is to try new things, join sports and clubs, you never know what you like until you try it and even if you try something and don’t enjoy it, you now have a better understanding of your likes and dislikes for down the road.