This organization is not a one-person endeavor; rather, it is a team working together with common goals, drive, desire and vision to initiate change.
DR. SENOVIA ROBLES
This year, the Learning Empowerment Achievement Foundation (LEAF) will be celebrating our 11th Annual Red Carpet Gala. The Gala was established with one goal in mind: to help provide our students with support via scholarships, tools and other resources. This support will assist students as their educational journey takes them to a post-secondary education. Along with the proceeds from the Gala, individual, organizational and corporate sponsors contribute towards this cause by providing individual scholarships.
Thank you for supporting us. We hope that you will continue to keep our foundation in your prayers so that we may continue to grow and assist in the development and education of our community and the students we serve. Please continue to support us with your generous donations and referrals.
I would like to personally express my sincere gratitude to all those who have donated so generously for the past ten years. You have given our students not only financial support, but also hope and inspiration to succeed in life. LEAF’s dream is to continue to grow the number of scholarships we are able to provide. In 2015, LEAF began its student scholarship program, since then we have provided 79 student scholarships at a value of $122,000. Also, the foundation has honored 57 community members for their commitment to education, their dedication and involvement within the community and in our schools. We cannot do this alone; we need support from our community to help make more dreams a reality.
This organization is not a one-person endeavor; rather, it is a team working together with common goals, drive, desire and vision to initiate change. I want to acknowledge LEAF’s executive board and board members for their commitment and the considerable time they have dedicated to the foundation. Like myself, they believe that it is never too late to learn. Working together, we will make a difference in the community and change many lives.
LEAF’s board will continue to work hard to provide scholarship opportunity and other educational resources to the Perth Amboy school system students enrolled in the numerous programs we support. To all of our current and future supporters, thank you for all you do!
I would like to wish you all a prosperous year and many continued blessings. Know that together we can affect change. It is never too late to accomplish our goals, no matter our age.
Our Mission
The mission of the Learning Empowerment Achievement Foundation (LEAF) is to offer scholarships and resources to the students enrolled in educational programs in Perth Amboy. These programs support a diverse student population, participating in various high school diploma or nontraditional certification programs. LEAF provides scholarships to help them further their educational goals.
Honored 57 community members for their commitment to education
Executive Board
Dr. Senovia Robles
Founder
Dr. Senovia Robles is the Founder of the Learning Empowerment Achievement Foundation (LEAF); the foundation was formed in 2014, with a purpose to help provide financial assistance via scholarships to students of the Perth Amboy Education Center. Dr. Robles retired from education in 2015, after serving the Perth Amboy community for over 35 years. Dr. Robles also founded the Saturday Morning Family School program at the Edward. J. Patten School in 1992; today this program continues to serve the educational, social and cultural needs of families in the Perth Amboy community. Dr. Robles finished her educational career as the Principal of Adult High School and Director of the Perth Amboy Education Center Programs for her last 10 years before retirement.
Dr. Robles attended the College of Saint Elizabeth, where she earned a B.A. in Elementary Education; received M.A. from Kean University, in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language as well as receiving her Supervision Certification. In 2012, she received her Doctoral Degree in Administration and Certification in Business Administration from Seton Hall University.
Throughout the years Dr. Robles has been recognized and has received numerous awards for her devotion, contributions and dedication in educating and in serving the students and citizens of Perth Amboy. Her outreach goes beyond that of an educator; appointed as advisor to the Perth Amboy police department; appointed by the NJ Governor’s office to serve on the states Teachers Advisory Committee; Instrumental in bringing technology to the school district by launching Puerto Rico’s first teleconferencing program with Perth Amboy; also has created many student exchange opportunities.
Dr. Robles strongly believes that the key to strengthening families is in education, “as more parents are educated, they find ways to enhance the education of their children, and that’s what creates strong, successful and happy families.”
As a single mother of four daughters, Dr. Robles has served as an influential, strong and positive role model, raising them in an environment of female leadership with courage, determination and a sense of responsibility to the community.
Dr. Robles continues to serve the Leadership Empowerment Achievement Foundation, the community and students of the Perth Amboy Public Schools.
As more parents are educated, they find ways to enhance the education of their children, and that’s what creates strong, successful and happy families.
Leezenia Rodriguez
Chairperson
Leezenia N. Rodriguez is a Health & Physical Education teacher at Perth Amboy High School – Personalized Learning Program. Leezenia is a graduate from the Universidad Metropolitiana en Cupey, Puerto Rico, where she completed her undergraduate degree and a soon to be graduate student at Grand Canyon University with her Master of Education in Administrational Education. Born and raised in Perth Amboy, Leezenia returned with a mission to educate and mentor the youth of her community. The teaching does not stop in the classroom; Leezenia brings her skills and abilities to the court and fields of Perth Amboy, as she coaches girls’ basketball and is Head Coach of Softball team for the Perth Amboy High School Panthers. Following in her mother’s (Dr. Senovia Robles) footsteps, Leezenia inherits the same passion, dedication and commitment as an educator, philanthropist, and serving as the LEAF Board Chair Person. In addition, she takes part in many community services and organizes various awareness programs educating her students and the Perth Amboy community. Leezenia is married to her husband Jasco Rodriguez and is a proud mother to her daughter Mila Jay Rodriguez.
Leezenia's mission is to educate and mentor the youth of her community.
Felix Velez, Jr.
Vice-Chairman/Treasurer
Mr. Felix Velez, Jr., has served on the LEAF Board of Directors since the start of the foundation, he currently serves as the foundations Co-Chair.
Mr. Velez is the Home School Liaison at the Perth Amboy High School’s - Personalized Learning Program. Born and raised in Perth Amboy, Mr. Velez returned to his alma mater after a successful career working in Corporate America for Verizon Communications.
Mr. Velez enjoys and is very passionate of his responsibilities, working and educating high school students, serving as a point of contact to parents and the community. Previously, Mr. Velez served as the Internship Coordinator and was very successful in establishing many community partners to help mentor his student interns, preparing them for life experiences, exposing them to educational and vocational networks and opportunities. In addition, Mr. Velez enjoys, coaching, physical fitness and training, playing softball, biking, and has participated in numerous Spartan races.
If you have an opportunity to make things better & you don’t, then you are wasting your time on earth. -Robert Clemente
Mildred Fernandez
Secretary
Mildred is proud to have earned her degree in education from the University of Puerto Rico. She obtained her M.ED. at Kean University in NJ. After a 47 year marriage she is a proud mother of two and grandmother. She has experienced the challenges that teachers face in Puerto Rico and in New Jersey as they strive to make a difference in their student’s lives. Her passion comes from acknowledging the fact that true educators live their lives to influence the next generation in positive ways, helping them to make decisions that will improve their lives. As a proud Latina she has worked very hard at providing the very best in leadership not only to her family but to the many children and adults she has mentored over the years. A life-long learner, she aspires to continue serving her community in different ways.
As an experienced former bilingual/ESL teacher and Supervisor in NJ, she continues to advocate for English Language Learners as an adjunct professor at William Patterson University where she teaches Foundations of Bilingual and Multicultural Education to undergraduate teachers.
Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education. -Martin Luther King Jr.
