Keshab Bhattarai

Le Moyne College Liberty Partnerships Program Alumni

When did you graduate high school, and which high school did you attend?
I went to Nottingham High school and graduated in June 2015.

What are you up to now?
I am a 5th year Mechanical Engineering student at RIT, looking forward to graduating in May of 2020. I already have a full-time job lined up with Lockheed Martin located in Syracuse, NY, which I will start in August of 2020.

How did you get involved with Liberty Partnerships?
I got involved with Liberty Partnerships Program starting my Junior year in high school. My girl friend was part of it, and she told me that it was very helpful as they bring tutors to help you with basically any subject you needed help with. I decided to give it a shot and applied. It was not that hard to get into that program being a hard-working student.

What are some of your favorite activities/programs that you did through Liberty Partnerships?
One of my favorite activity through the LPP program was being involved in the MOST rocket competition. I had always wanted to be an engineer, and getting that exposure starting my Junior year through this program really helped me decide the kind of engineer I wanted to become. I participated in the competition my junior and senior years. Both years, we came in first place.

Describe how Liberty partnerships shaped your life both in and out of classroom?
This program brought tutors for every subject. English was not my favorite subject in high school, especially college English course. The tutors that were there were very knowledgeable and helped me with my essays for the course. Not only that, they also helped me edit my college essay. The program taught me to give back to the community, help those who are struggling. With this lesion learnt from this program, I am currently a personal tutor for circuits course here at RIT and an active volunteer of a soccer club called Tillie’s Touch.

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of this life. The journey I had from a refugee camp in Nepal to the United States of America. I am proud to be attending Rochester Institute of Technology with a full scholarship. Finally, I am proud of myself for landing a full-time job at Lockheed Martin, which is one of the best engineering firms in the United States.

What advice do you have for current students?
To current students,
Do not be afraid to take challenges. I know most of you come from a third world country; fleeing war, poverty, inadequate health care, but now you are in a better place. Be thankful of the opportunities you get and take them on. Do all your homeworks ahead of time, participate in extra activity, study for your exams, study for SATs, and work hard every day. If you do these things, there is no doubt that one day, you will all be very successful.