Alumni Center

What exciting news we have from Link alumni – the Class of 2015 – who graduated from high school this past June! We have already reached 60% of the class and ALL have enrolled in college for the fall of 2019! Link has made a tremendous effort in locating our alumni and in making connections and we will continue to report on connections made.

We congratulate the Class of 2015, which was first class to graduate from Link after the conversion to a public charter school and wish them well on the next leg of life’s journey. Here is the list of colleges and universities the Class of 2019 will attend in the fall:

4-Year Private Institutions
Bloomfield College
Caldwell University
College of Saint Elizabeth
Drew University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Felician University
Hastings College
Loyola University (Baltimore)
Rider University
University of Rochester
Vassar College

Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Bowie State University
Delaware State University
Howard University
Jackson State University
North Carolina A&T State University

4-Year Public Institutions
Georgia State University
Kean University
Montclair State University
The Pennsylvania State University
Rowan University
Rutgers University
Stockton University
William Paterson University

2-Year Public Institutions
Chattahoochee Technical College
Essex County College
Union County College

Jalen Coleman ’17, Caleb Jakes ’18, Kelsey Cruz ’18, and Tre-Elijah Williams ’18 served on a panel during Ms. Dandie’s Life Skills class (Team Veritas, grade 5) and spoke with students about coping in school, what it takes to succeed, the preparation and then transition to high school and so much more. Our young scholars were very inspired – in fact, in awe – of our alumni. They asked a lot of great questions. The alumni, on spring break from their respective high schools, also helped with various projects throughout the school – “giving back to the community.”

Jalen studies at the prestigious Pingry School in Martinsville, NJ. Caleb, Kelsey, and Tre are attending great boarding schools – Caleb at The Masters School in NY, Kelsey at West Nottingham Academy in MD; and Tre at The Governor’s Academy in MA. All are very happy with the selections they made for high school and progressing well academically and socially. We are proud of these young people who are willing to share their time and talents at Link!

Laila Little, Class of ’98, is giving back to her community…to Link, the City of Newark and beyond. To Link, Ms. Little has brought her passionate concern for children’s health and Double Dutch jump roping to a weekly elective class. Ms. Little started jumping rope at a young age at the Boys and Girls Club in Newark and continued competitively through high school and college. The mentoring and support she received plus the awareness of the socio-economic issues facing the underprivileged inspired her to give back to others. Ultimately she founded Jump Kids Health, an organization with the mission to combat childhood obesity and mental health issues through therapy, nutritional counseling, and competitive Double Dutch training in Newark, Philadelphia, the Bronx, Brooklyn and, soon, West Virginia. Joining Ms. Little in Jump Kids Health are two other Link alumnae – Khaila Cross ’98 and Tiffany Walker ’02.

[Read more…] about Laila Little ’98 gives back to the community

Tiffany Walker, Link ‘03, spoke about respect and mental health with our Lower House scholars during Morning Circle recently. She encouraged students to “fill each other’s buckets”…to be supportive of each other at all times rather than tearing each other down. Tiffany also called on scholars to reflect on bullying and how it impacts one’s self-esteem and mental health.

Link was so excited and grateful for Tiffany’s presence. Her energy was contagious the minute she walked into Morning Circle. She even led the Lower House in Link’s enthusiastic Call and Response… which she remembered from her days at the school.

After Link, Tiffany attended Morristown Beard School for high school. She then earned a B.S.W. from Widener University and an M.S.W. from Columbia University. After working in the non-profit field for a while, she founded Pathways Toward Peace, a non-profit with the mission to provide mental health training to faith and community-based organizations.

Link thanks Tiffany for giving back to the community by staying connected to Link, uplifting our Linkers, and educating the larger community about mental health.

Malakai Freeman ’04 spoke to Upper House students today about the impact that Link, particularly the teachers and staff, had on his life.  He shared several examples of how Link staff personally supported him while at Link and beyond, and how the sense of “family” or “community” and caring at Link kept him from straying in the wrong direction. One Link staff member presented Malakai with a laptop upon graduation from high school but made him promise he would do the same for someone at some point in his life.  Keeping his promise, Malakai donated a laptop for Link’s staff today to present to a worthy 8^th grader who they felt would appreciate it and also promise to “pay it forward” in the future. Noting that next week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, Malachi encouraged students “to appreciate all of the things that your teachers do for you.”

This is not Malakai’s (known at Link as Edwin) first return to Link since his graduation. He has spoken with students in previous years and appeared in Link’s video A Matter of Justice, talking about his experience at the school.  After Link, Malakai graduated from Delbarton in Morristown and Providence College in Rhode Island. He is pursuing an M.B.A. (Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management) from Western Governor’s University. He is currently employed by a division of Nestle as an IS/IT Manager. He resides in Rhode Island

Link thanks Malakai for “giving back to the community” by staying connected to Link. inspiring our Linkers, and offering a gift to one of our students.

P.S. The laptop was presented to Cheryl C. ’18 during the Graduates Awards Ceremony and Breakfast on June 20th. What a surprised, pleased, and grateful…as well as deserving…young lady! We know she will “pay it forward” at some point in the future!