Partnership between Buffalo State Criminal Justice and Hamburg High School generates opportunity and connection
A partnership between Buffalo State’s Criminal Justice Department and Hamburg High School is allowing high school students to connect with current Buffalo State students and explore what it would be like to be a criminal justice major at Buffalo State.
For nearly two years, Buffalo State criminal justice professor S. Marlon Gayadeen and Hamburg High School science teacher Joseph Karnath have taken a workout class together. In that time, they’ve spoken about their work and careers—specifically about the lack of connection between high school and college experiences.
“Although many high schools offer college-level courses, it is rare that students have the opportunity to interact with the college professors,” Karnath said. “I was teaching forensics last year and Marlon and I spoke about what curriculum we each covered. I wondered if our criminal justice and forensics classes prepared students well enough for a program like Buffalo State’s. Both wanting to explore more, we met with colleagues at our respective schools to see if we could make a connection between our schools.”
A successful connection was made in spring 2026, when Buffalo State faculty members Clairissa Breen and Ksenia Petlakh visited forensics and criminal justice classes at Hamburg High School to introduce students to BSU and the Criminal Justice Department. The visits strengthened the relationship between the two institutions and led to additional opportunities for student engagement, including an ongoing pen pal exchange between students enrolled in a Gayadeen’s Buffalo State upper-division criminal justice course and students enrolled in a criminal justice course at Hamburg High School taught by Lisa Lerche. Through handwritten letters, students have exchanged ideas about education, career goals, personal interests, and college life.
“Far from a casual exchange of letters, the correspondence was incorporated into classroom assignments at both institutions, with students responding to specific questions and their instructors reviewing their work,” said Melissa Menasco, associate professor and chair of Buffalo State’s Criminal Justice Department. “Using traditional pen and paper, students wrote their responses in college blue books, creating a personal connection long before meeting face-to-face. Initiatives like this reflect Buffalo State’s commitment to community engagement, educational outreach, and building meaningful connections with local schools. By introducing high school students to college life and creating opportunities for sustained interaction with university students and faculty, the partnership helps students explore their academic and career interests while envisioning their own paths to higher education.”
“Initiatives like this reflect Buffalo State’s commitment to community engagement, educational outreach, and building meaningful connections with local schools.”
The exchange culminated with the opportunity for the pen pals to meet in person during the October 30 event “What Does It Mean to be a Criminal Justice student at Buffalo State University?” The event brought 60 students and four teachers from Hamburg High School to campus for panel discussions with faculty, staff, and current students, and provided students with a firsthand look at both the academic and student experience at Buffalo State. The pen pals met and shared lunch at the Bengal Buffet.
“What began as a classroom assignment became an opportunity for students to connect across educational levels, learn from one another, and experience firsthand the Buffalo State community,” Menasco said. “We wanted Hamburg High School students to experience college, not just hear about it. Through a classroom experience, conversations with our students, and an opportunity to explore campus life, we hoped to open their eyes to the possibilities of a college education.”
The experience also offered visiting students an opportunity to engage with one of the region’s most diverse university communities, as Buffalo State brings together students from a wide range of racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Our students were very grateful to have an opportunity to meet college students and interact with them,” added Lerche. “For some of our students, this was their first field trip and first time on a college campus.”
Karnath said the goal of the partnership is to find and develop ways to prepare students for the collegiate experience through things like ongoing communication, visits, and eventually developing a joint course taught by a Buffalo State professor and a Hamburg High School teacher.
“Providing students a seamless and connective relationship to an excellent institution like Buffalo State could lead many Hamburg students to this educational resource in our backyard,” Karnath said.
Menasco added, “This partnership reflects what makes Buffalo State special—our commitment to creating meaningful educational experiences, building lasting partnerships with our Western New York community, and helping young people envision their futures.”
