MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Cathlene Rivera-Cruz was recently named director of SUNY Orange’s Golden Stars Liberty Partnerships Program, an after-school and summer college/career readiness program operated collaboratively with the Newburgh Enlarged City School District and the Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh.

Funded in July 2017 by a five-year $1.5 million grant from the New York State Department of Education, LPP programming is intended to improve academic success and college readiness for disadvantaged middle school and high school students. The program is designed to serve a combined 240 students in Heritage Middle School and South Middle School as well as at Newburgh Free Academy’s two campuses: Main and North.

The programming, located both at the partner schools and SUNY Orange's Newburgh campus, features a blend of small-group activities including the development of individualized learning plans, as well as academic interventions, enrichment opportunities, skills assessments, tutoring, academic and personal counseling, and other components.

Prior to joining the SUNY Orange LPP staff, Rivera-Cruz served as the college planning school counselor for the Northern Academy of the Arts. She has also worked as a college admissions counselor/consultant at Your College Connection and POM College Admissions Consulting.  Prior to her college consulting experience, Rivera-Cruz spent more than 10 years working in higher education admissions, international student services and opportunity programs for the State University of New York (SUNY) as well as New York City Supplemental Educational Services (SES).

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Herbert H. Lehman College and her master’s degree in school counseling from Long Island University. A native of the Bronx, she was a student and summer employee of Dr. Edward Eisman’s UNITAS community opportunity program. She understands first-hand the advantages of early college and career awareness.

Rivera-Cruz oversees a staff that includes Ivette O’Sullivan, middle school program coordinator; LaKeisha Hill, parent coordinator; Janea M. Hill, high school program coordinator; Kimberly Galvin and Christina Gingras, administrative assistants; and Michelle Thomas, case manager.

For more information, contact the LPP office at (845) 341-9541.