Tamia Hackworth

Tamia Hackworth graduated of Frederick Douglass Academy 1 after interning with Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. in 2017. She will be studying at the University at Albany, pursuing a major in economics and minor in Spanish.

As part of the Building Foundations organization, Adam Leitman Bailey founded the Raymond “Hap” Harrison scholarship a decade ago, in honor of his high school cross country and track coach, who inspired him greatly. Since then, the scholarship has been awarded each year to recent high school graduates planning to attend college in the fall.

This year’s recipients are paid interns who have worked with the firm throughout the school year and summer, and (who) graduated from high school this past year (include) Tamia Hackworth, Edwin George, Daliza Galarza, Andrea Delacruz, and New Milford’s Tara Moat.

Adam Leitman Bailey Awards Full College Scholarship In Honor of Mr. John M. Murphy, Sr.

Adam Leitman Bailey awards forty thousand dollar scholarship in honor of Mr. John M. Murphy, Sr. to an Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. intern and graduating high school student to assist in furthering her education.

“Dear Mr. John M. Murphy, Sr.,

I am writing to thank you for your generous forty thousand dollar scholarship. I was elated to learn of my selection for this honor and I am truly grateful for your support. I am a senior at the Frederick Douglass Academy 1 in Manhattan, NY. Since I will start college next fall, I plan to major in political science and pursue a career in law. My internships helped me confirm my decision and I feel this is the best option for me. By awarding me this scholarship , you have lightened my financial burden which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school, learning. I am committed to maintaining a stellar grade point average and exceeding your expectations as a college student. Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.

Sincerely,

Tamia Hackworth”

SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON 2017

2017 Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholars Luncheon

Scholarship recipients, old and new, joined Adam Leitman Bailey at the new firm offices on Thursday, July 27th, 2017 for the annual Scholars Luncheon. Taking in the new scenery (for all but our current high school interns, it was their first visit to the Battery Park space), everyone reflected upon their time at the firm, thanking Adam for the opportunities and experiences he provided.

Each year, Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. in conjunction with Building Foundations and Dreams, sits down with these inspiring students (from the most recent university graduates to rising college freshmen) to honor their hard work and celebrate their outstanding achievements, both inside and out of the classroom. At the annual luncheon, the recipients have the chance to talk one-on-one with Mr. Bailey, network with one another, and provide Adam with their latest updates – new jobs, awards received in the previous semester, and other exciting adventures in their personal and professional lives. This year was particularly special, as it marked the tenth year of the scholarship’s existence.

POSTGRADUATE TESTIMONIAL

“Hi, I’m Tamia Hackworth. I am a recent graduate of the University of Albany. I graduated in May. I graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and a minor in English. I just graduated Magna Cum Laude and I am really excited to start my journey to law school; I am studying for the LSAT right now so I can take it in November.”

When were you awarded the Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholarship? 

“I was awarded the Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholarship in 2017, my senior year of high school. I was super excited to get that scholarship. Because of the scholarship, I was able to go to school for free and I do not have any student loans because of it, so, it was a blessing.”

When did you start your internship? 

“I started interning at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. in the fall of 2016, my junior year of high school and I stayed until the Summer of 2017. For almost a year, I was an intern here.”

What did you learn at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C.? 

“During my internship with Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C., I was doing everything. I was here while we were at the Wall Street office. I was working in the marketing department doing Search Engine Optimization, trying to get the website up and running. I was helping the paralegals, compiling documents, filing paperwork and had my hands in everything. I was also working directly with attorneys helping them with any kind of filing or any other duties that they needed help with.”

Where did you grow up and where did you attend school? 

“I grew up in the Bronx. I went to school at Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem.”

What was your major? 

“In college, I stuck with my major for all four years. It was so funny seeing everyone switch their major. When people come in as business majors, they are not business majors by the time they graduate. I was taking classes like accounting, which I know I am not going to be an accountant. I was also taking finance classes and I really got to home in on my calculation skills, even though math was not something I was interested in. I was interested in finance. I want to integrate finance and law because at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. is where I decided I want to be an attorney. Hopefully, I can find a way to integrate finance and law together. It was great having the Raymond “Hap” Harrison Scholarship because I did not have to work a job so I could really focus on school and extracurricular activities so I could make connections in school.”

Did you feel prepared entering college? 

“Yes. When I got the scholarship, I felt super prepared and going through college, I felt super prepared. Adam has been a mentor since I stepped foot, first day, here in September of 2016. I am just really grateful for the opportunity to come back and talk about how it was.”

What was the hardest aspect of college? 

“The hardest part of college to me was balancing my time. When you get to college, there is no schedule for you. You have to make that schedule yourself. There is nobody that is going to get you up in the morning and tell you that you have to go to class. You really have to become independent. I think that is the toughest part, but also the best part of college. It prepares you for the real world. It is a buffer between adolescent teen and adulthood. You need an environment where everyone is figuring themselves out together.”

What was the most rewarding aspect of college?

“The most rewarding part of college was the connections I made with friends, professors and even professional connections. It is super important to have people in your life who can help you succeed and want the best for you.”

What are your plans for post-graduation? 

“Right now, I am studying for my LSAT in November so that I can start law school in the Fall of 2022.”

Did you have prior experience at a law firm before? 

“Prior to this internship, I did not know much about law. I knew about law from T.V. shows and movies. There are no lawyers or financial professionals in my family. Being in this setting, especially at such a young age, it really introduced me to the professional and corporate world. I knew that was something I wanted to be a part of.”

How did you find out about the scholarship? 

“I first heard about the Raymond “Hap” Harrison scholarship because Adam brought it up. I was talking about school – it was my junior year and that was when I was studying for the SAT and applying to colleges. Adam told me that there was a scholarship that could help me with my dreams. I needed to find out how to get that.”

How did you meet Adam? 

“I got this internship through a program in high school called Futures and Options. This program was a professional enrichment program located on Wall Street in the same building as Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. They had a connection to Adam, and I told them my interests. They shared the internship with me and told me I would really like it. When I started, I wanted to stay.”

What were the best aspects of working here?

“I think the best aspects of working here were the people. Everyone made it a welcoming environment and I liked the unpredictability of the day. Sometimes when you get into a routine, it gets a little boring. Working here, there is always something that pops up that you have to do. There is always something that might veer you off your course. It taught me to adapt. I really liked the unpredictability.”

How did you find out you received the scholarship? 

“I came in one day and Adam said congratulations, you have the Raymond “Hap” Harrison scholarship. I was just so happy. That was the first step where I thought I could be successful in college. If I can get this, I am going in the right track.”

How has this scholarship impacted your life?

“This scholarship has impacted me in so many ways. I do not have any student loans. This scholarship was substantial, and I went to a state school. I did not have to work a job, so I was able to focus on my academics.”

What advice would you give to the most recent scholarship winner? 

“The advice I would give to the most recent scholarship winner is leverage your connections and always stay in contact with the people who want to see you succeed. Always do your best. Your best may not look the same every day, but if you can try to do your best, do your best.”

How has your internship at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. helped you?  

“My internship at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. has helped me learn how to network. It has helped my resume writing skills; it has helped my email writing skills. I feel that this has helped my writing skills. I have learned how to speak and dress professionally. Starting an internship at 17, it really helped.”

What was your favorite memory at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C.? 

“My favorite memory was my birthday. I came in and Adam got a cake. Everyone came to the breakroom and we ate cake. It really made me feel like I was valued even though I was in high school.”

If you could say anything to Adam Leitman Bailey, what would you say?  

“If I could say anything to Adam Leitman Bailey, I would say you have taught me to always be myself because you are always yourself. That is inspiring to me. I thank you for your mentorship and will continue to stay in contact.”

What did you know about the scholarship prior to receiving it? 

“When I first got the scholarship, that is when I learned of Raymond “Hap” Harrison. Adam had Raymond in his life and Raymond helped him, pushed, and motivated him. Adam named this scholarship after Raymond. That inspires me to want to give back in Adam’s name because he has done that for me.”

Any closing comments? 

“I am just really grateful to work at Adam Leitman Bailey, P.C. and to experience Adam as a person.”

Northeastern University School of Law

“In May 2021, I graduated from the University at Albany with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Information Systems & Business Analytics.

After graduation, I decided to pursue a law career while balancing a full-time position as a college advisor.

I am pleased to announce that I have begun my first year at Northeastern University School of Law. I want to thank my friends and family for their support. I want to thank Adam Leitman Bailey for his mentorship and Shachi Bhatt for her guidance.

I am excited to see what the future holds!”

SCHOLARSHIP TESTIMONIAL

I personally was interested in law but I never really thought of pursuing it so definitely coming to Adam Leitman Bailey and interning really made my decision, this is what I want to do.

“Hi my name is Tamia Hackworth, I go to Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem, New York. I am currently an intern at Adam Leitman bailey P.C. On a daily basis, I work with the paralegals with their cases helping them file, put together documents, scanning, printing and all of those things.

What makes Adam Leitman Bailey so unique is the emphasis on women and bringing women into the workforce where it is mostly a male dominated field such as law especially real estate law. That is very interesting and I personally was interested in law but I never really thought of pursuing it so definitely coming to Adam Leitman Bailey and interning really made my decision, this is what I want to do.

Adam is such a crazy boss, crazy in a good way, though. He is very friendly, outgoing, he will just come up to you like “ Hi, how are you? How’s your day going?” and it’s very great because not a lot of bosses will take the time out to talk to you especially being a high school intern, I’m so lone in the total pole, but he really cares about the people who work here.

Words of wisdom he told me was to keep my GPA up and never doubt yourself basically, never doubt yourself. When Brianna first told me that I got the scholarship I almost wanted to cry, I was so happy. It was the best news I have ever had and it was definitely the motivation I needed. With school, the college process, having two APs working, it becomes a burden but when you realise there are people behind you that support you and believe in you, it just gives you that extra push.

It was definitely something that I needed, especially financially as college is really expensive and I’m not rich so it will definitely help. For anyone who plans on working here or interning of the sorts, definitely come to Adam Leitman Bailey, it’s such a positive working environment. Nobody is mean, there is no cattiness, everyone is like a family.”

INTERNSHIP TESTIMONIAL

My name is Tamia Hackworth, and I’m currently a high school intern. I’ve been at the firm for almost a year, about eleven months. I enjoy being able to comfortably speak with all the attorneys and paralegals and all the executive staff here.

As a high school intern, it feels like you’re very low on the total hull, but everyone makes sure you’re comfortable and you’re able to speak to anyone. I really appreciate the family environment the firm has to offer. Also, I appreciate how everyone in the firm is very hard-working. No one is lazy. No one just doesn’t have work to do. Everyone’s constantly busy, and I just admire that.

The most valuable thing I’ve learned is that if you’re going to do something, make sure it’s your best work. And to always be confident and your work and how you speak and anything presents because it’s your brand.

One of my proudest accomplishments was when I started working with the marketing department and I was able to curate some polls for the social media sites, like their accounts like Twitter and Facebook and it was very cool to see my polls to actually get published. My advice is to take advantage for everything the firm has to offer. Talk to everyone. Get to know your colleagues, because everyone has such a wealth of knowledge to bring to the table. And to have fun.