Birmingham Promise

“having Birmingham Promise also enhanced her college experience.”

““I don’t know how we can make it bigger or better,” he said, “but it’s a blessing for anyone.””

““It’s amazing how fast life hits you,” Javon said. “You are away from home, dealing with all that stuff you can’t control. It’s just a little more reassurance that somebody’s got my back.””

““The success coaches had multiple meetings to keep us on track,” Davon said. “It helped develop us and push us beyond being worried about finances. You can’t even ask for anything better than that.””

““That was the first blessing,” said Javon, who is finishing his last semester at Alabama A&M University and hopes to become a life coach.”

““Through the Birmingham Promise internship, I’ve had a head start in pursuing my career””

““It was a very great experience that introduced me to the basics of cancer research,” Scott said in his valedictory address at Huffman.”

““The Birmingham Promise team motivated me to stay focused,” Torey said. “It’s a well-rounded program that helps the younger generation of Birmingham believe that success is within reach and possible.””

““We want the students to have a better understanding of municipal government at the conclusion of the internship, a challenging, yet memorable professional experience, and to know that we are committed to helping them realize their dreams,””

““These students have excelled in the classroom as evidenced by their grades and college scholarship offers, so working here allows us to show them what service looks like, the broad range of career opportunities that are available, and hopefully lead some of them to find their place in government, as an employee or elected official,””

““If any high-schoolers out there have any doubts about Birmingham Promise, they should consult their parents or Birmingham Promise; it’s really worth it,” Daniel said. “Going to college in-state is already cheaper than going out of state, and they should definitely apply to Birmingham Promise. It will definitely be beneficial to their college career.””

““Opportunities like that have come suddenly, and it’s through those connections where I’m able to learn more from people I meet, like the guy who handles media for Birmingham City Schools,” Daniel said. “Opportunities like that, I will never take for granted.””

““They were saying they could pay my tuition, but I didn’t really believe it. That seems like a lot to offer for every graduate of Birmingham City Schools,” he said. “But lo and behold, here we are now, and I’m truly grateful for everything they’ve done for me.””

““This is an excellent opportunity for small businesses to recruit and develop high quality talent in their communities,” said Mrs. Sims-Summers. “If you’re looking for innovative perspectives and fresh ideas, then you should partner with Birmingham Promise’s apprenticeship program.””

““The more companies in Birmingham provide career experiences to students, the more students will have the ability to discern what career path they will likely navigate,” said Mrs. Sims-Summers. “Together, large and small businesses can change the trajectory of Birmingham’s economy and workforce.””

““We’re all about working with apprentices to provide them a perspective on the impact small businesses have on communities,” said Mrs. Sims-Summers. “Not only do small businesses provide services to communities, but we are the very foundation of critical change in communities and it’s important for students to understand social responsibility.””

““When I initially heard of the opportunity to serve as an apprentice employer, I was immediately intrigued,” said Mrs. Sims-Summers. “It’s extremely rare for students to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career path and I want to expose students to that career opportunity.””

“While Kaleb received a couple of scholarships from Auburn that covered some of his expenses, he said, Birmingham Promise “knocked out pretty much everything I had left. It was a very helpful scholarship.””

““Not only has the Good Jobs grant allowed me not to worry about the financial burden of summer tuition and books, but it has allowed me to connect with people,” she said at a recent press conference about the program. “I want to be a pediatric neurologist and with the Good Jobs grant, they have allowed me to connect with people when it comes to shadowing and volunteer hours.””

““Going to college for free is a privilege everyone deserves, but as a Birmingham City Schools graduate, I know how truly blessed we are to have this opportunity through Birmingham Promise,” she said. “My advice to any student is simple: Don’t take this gift for granted — use it to build the future you dream of.””

““I’m getting a college education for free. Birmingham Promise is giving me four years for free,” she said. “Nobody else is going to pay for this. My parents can’t pay for this. This is an opportunity.””

““I would suggest that they give a lot of thought as to where the student would fit in and make sure they have buy-in from the people the student would be working directly with,” she said. “If they feel they can create the right environment for the student to thrive, I would suggest they join the program, as it is a win for the student, the company, and the city.””

““The return on investment we would like to see is to gain an employee who contributes to the team and shares their perspective on our systems and processes,” she said. “We would also like to see the student go on to do great things and contribute positively to the world, which benefits us all.””

““I hope that they gain some of the skills they will need to be successful in their future career,” Romano said. “I also hope that they are able to get a sense of what the work environment they plan to work in is really like. This will help them hit the ground running if they do end up in this environment or let them know if they need to reconsider their career plans.””

““One value we see in this program is that it is a great way to give back to our city,” Romano said. “The success of the youth in the community directly ties into the success of the city as a whole. We believe that the real-world experience the students gain from this program sets them up better for success in life. It is also valuable for our company to have someone with fresh insight join the team and bring their perspective on things.””