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Beyond the Books: A soft-skills development series for emerging and young professionals. A partnership of The College of Saint Rose and the Upstate NewYork Black Chamber of Commerce

The College of Saint Rose is proud to announce a new partnership with the UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce to create a bridge between the students of Saint Rose and the chamber’s more than 100 members from the Capital Region west to Buffalo and south to the Hudson Valley.

The partnership will kick off with a career-preparation series for young professionals and college students throughout the region called “Beyond the Books: Developing soft skills for your career.” The goal of the series is to educate young and emerging professionals about communications, networking, organization, and other skills necessary to succeed. Each session, which will be held in person and livestreamed via the Saint Rose YouTube channel and Facebook page, will feature a diverse panel of professionals from both the business and education sectors.

“We are honored to launch our partnership with The College of Saint Rose and look forward to engaging with their students to support their growth and development as they transition into the workforce and perhaps even businesses of their own,” said Anthony Gaddy, co-founder and president/CEO of the UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce.

“Retaining the talent that is developed in the Capital Region is a constant theme at our organization. Engaging with the education system will assist us with identifying and developing future top talent towards sustainability and growth of the region,” Gaddy said. “It is important that students see opportunities for themselves here, including in the diversity of representation. That work begins now.”

“Beyond the Books” is a free series open to students from any college or university in any major, as well as young professionals. Upon completion of the series, Saint Rose students will obtain a professional development certificate. Future events will cover time management, communication in the workforce, and career and self-development.

The first “Beyond the Books” event is scheduled for Thursday, September 30, at 6 p.m. at the Thelma P. Lally School of Education, 1009 Madison Avenue, Albany. The panel also will be streamed live on the Saint Rose YouTube and Facebook accounts. Panelists will discuss how their college experience shaped them, the power of networking, and how to expand our communities beyond our professional circles.

Dr. Angelina Maloney, Anthony Gaddy, Olaiya Curtis, and Xavier DeLuke

From upper left clockwise: Dr. Angelina Maloney, Anthony Gaddy, Xavier DeLuke, and Olaiya Curtis

The panel features:

Olaiya Curtis, an Albany City School District teacher for 26 years, who is currently teaching sixth-grade science, and a 1995 graduate of Saint Rose

Xavier DeLuke, a 2019 Saint Rose graduate and special education teacher at Glens Falls City Schools

Anthony Gaddy, co-founder and President/CEO of the UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce, the Upstate New York affiliate for U.S. Black Chambers

Dr. Angelina Maloney, superintendent of the Brunswick Central School District, 1996 Saint Rose graduate, and president of the Saint Rose Alumni Association

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Andrew Shanock, a professor of school psychology at Saint Rose.

For more information and to register for the panel discussion, visit the event page on Eventbrite.

“We are very excited to partner with the UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce as learning happens in more than just our classrooms,” said Dr. Margaret McLane, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Saint Rose. “Beyond the Books is an excellent way to not only get our students thinking about developing strong soft skills that will help them in their careers, but it exposes them to a diverse range of leaders in our community who they can look up to as role models and mentors.”

Please note that under the College’s COVID-19 guidelines, attendees for the September 30 panel who are not students or employees of Saint Rose will be required at the door to provide either proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours before the event.

Founded in February 2019, the UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce is a member of the U.S. Black Chambers and represents professionals in a variety of fields from throughout Upstate New York. Learn more about USNYBCC on its website.

Saint Rose is home to a diverse population of 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled across its schools of business, education, mathematics and sciences, and arts and humanities. Although the College recently celebrated its centennial, it still holds true to its founding values of an orientation toward excellence, development of the whole person, building an inclusive community, service to the dear neighbor, and meeting the needs of the times. Learn more about Saint Rose on the College’s website.

By Jennifer Gish