Alumni Spotlight: High Fives & Hard Work Equals Success for Bridget Singh-Liebson

When Bridget Singh-Liebson arrived in the U.S. in 1983 with her two young daughters, she carried six dollars in her pocket and an extra outfit for each child and herself.

It was a Thursday. By Monday Liebson was at work behind the cash register of a local drug store.

Liebson, a native of Guyana, dreamed of following her parents to New York. When she finally arrived, she was dedicated to working hard to create a new home. It paid off.

Within three years she and her daughters moved out of her parents’ house. Her daughters became the first in the family to attend college, her youngest earning a spot at the prestigious Cornell University. Liebson married again and had a son who also enjoyed a successful academic career.

By the time her children graduated, Liebson had become a hairdresser. As her children’s academic accolades grew, so did their pay, and Liebson took notice.

“As a hairdresser we’re ok but they made so much money I figure education is the way to go. Education is everything,” she said.

When the hair salon she worked for closed in 2018 for remodeling, she said she “gave in” to visiting a friend who worked for Bryant & Stratton College and helped Liebson enroll.

Choosing a field to study was easy.

“I want to help people, I want to care,” she said.

Liebson completed her medical assisting degree in January of 2020.

Despite her reluctance about returning to school at age 56 and her even bigger worry about taking math classes, Liebson said all those fears dissipated when she stepped into Bryant & Stratton College’s classrooms.

“I love the diversity. In that room we were all the same, no one thought of us by age,” she said. “It was very, very nice.”

Liebson said Bryant & Stratton College gave her the opportunity to earn her degree and have a typical college experience.

She attended her first basketball game and enjoyed being part of the student section.

“I had young guys giving me high fives, we were all cheering and having pizza. I’ve never had that and I am in my 50s and all the other students didn’t care. We were all the same. I love that about Bryant & Stratton,” she said.

Her time in the classroom also gave her newfound computer skills, something she said she dreaded learning before attending Bryant & Stratton College. She can also now play a mean round of Jeopardy.

“I used to hate watching because I never knew the answer, now I can answer them all,” she said.

Now 60-years-old, Liebson said she should be considering retirement but would prefer to use her degree in the workforce helping others and encouraging retirees to earn their degree.

“If I can do it, why not you?” she said. “If you have the time and you can do it, why not?”