LEGACY FOUNDATION SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHTS
Brianna Bobo
Brianna Bobo is a shining example of the college-going culture that is one of the core parts of the Legacy Foundation’s four pillars. Brianna, 21, became a Legacy Scholar the summer before her high school junior year, after learning about the Saturday Academy through her aunt. She says the wealth of knowledge and impactfulness on her life gained from her Legacy experience is immeasurable. Brianna graduated last May with her bachelor’s degree in Education, with a concentration in Secondary Social Studies as part of the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) Teacher Education Program. She will earn her master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction in May 2024.
Brianna says she is especially grateful for the time and attention Legacy College Coach Lynne Bossart spent helping to guide her through the difficult college admissions and scholarship application process. Lacking a family car, Brianna says Bossart went out of her way to ensure the two could meet up each week. “She’s like my Legacy godmother,” says Brianna. “I love Legacy for so many reasons. The biggest thing with Legacy is that they believe in you. There’s really no limitations,” says Brianna. “They’re almost like a second family. It’s definitely a blessing from God.” Now in graduate school with zero college debt, she credits much of her success to her Legacy experience, as well as to her faith and her own grit and self-determination—living at home to save money and commuting to college by bus each day, while also working part-time as a teacher assistant at Conard High School in West Hartford.
Raised by her single mother, Bobo—who has two older sisters and a younger brother—is the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree. A 2019 Conard High School graduate, Bobo plans to teach high school social studies upon obtaining her graduate degree and teacher certification.
As an example of Legacy’s substantive and far-reaching impact, Brianna cites the organization’s annual trip to Washington, D.C., in which Legacy Scholars tour historic landmarks, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and visit HBCU Morgan State University in neighboring Baltimore, Md., meeting with the college president, professors, and students to get an up-close-and-personal perspective on the college experience. Brianna says for many Legacy students, the trip was eye-opening in more ways than one: it was their first time leaving Connecticut, flying on a plane, and staying at a hotel. She says this immersive experience is why the Legacy Foundation stands apart from other organizations.
“Where Legacy steps in, they put (students) in those places, and says, ‘Now can you see it?,” she says. “It gives students like myself the ability to see it and achieve it. For Legacy, you don’t just hear about it, but be about it.”
Aneea Joiner
Manchester native Aneea Joiner started her college journey this fall at Quinnipiac University, after receiving close to $1 million dollars in scholarships. Aneea, 17, graduated in the top five of her senior class at CREC’s Civic Leadership High School in Enfield. She plans to pursue Quinnipiac’s six-year (4+2) dual degree bachelor of science (BS) in biomedical sciences/MHS Pathologists’ Assistant program. Quinnipiac’s rigorous, NAACLS-accredited Pathologists’ Assistant program is one of only 13 such programs in the U.S. and Canada.
Aneea, who became a Legacy Scholar during her junior year in high school, credits Legacy Foundation College Coach Lynne Bossart with helping her craft more meaningful, personalized college essays. “She really pushed me to write from my heart,” says Aneea, who conceded that the process was a lot of work, but worth it in the end. “The Legacy Foundation really thrived on excellence in creating a legacy for myself and others,” she said.
Aneea also said the Legacy Foundation excursions to different colleges helped open her mind to educational and career fields that she might not have known about otherwise. “I think it [the Legacy Foundation] is important to young people because it gives them a foundation, so that when they’re ready to go into their careers, they’re prepared,” says Aneea.
Ultimately, Aneea has her career sights set on becoming a cardiac anesthesiologist. She knows her goals are attainable, in no small part, because of her Legacy Foundation experience.
“I think it [the Legacy Foundation] is important to young people because it gives them a foundation, so that when they’re ready to go into their careers, they’re prepared,”
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