Celebrating 30 Years of Building Dreams: Highlights from the (Em)Power Breakfast

What a joyful celebration! The (Em)Power Breakfast brought Student Leadership Network’s community of advocates, educators, and supporters together to mark a monumental milestone: 30 years of building dreams and expanding access to educational opportunity. From longtime champions and new friends to school leaders and alumni, nearly 500 guests gathered at Cipriani 42nd Street to cheer on three decades of collective impact upon 100,000 students and counting.

The morning spotlighted our core programs that have transformed the lives of our alumni, and also looked boldly to the future with today’s students. Talia Scott, an alumna of the flagship Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem and Student Leadership Network Board member—who was herself an (Em)Power Breakfast Honoree in 2023—set the stage as the event’s emcee and kept the celebration buzzing from start to finish!

  • Talia Scott speaks at a podium in front of a yellow backdrop for the Student Leadership Network [Em]POWER BREAKFAST.
    Alumna and Board member Talia Scott served as the event’s emcee
  • Philip Osei speaks at the podium, while Stephen Siegel stands next to him on a stage with a Student Leadership Network (Em)Power Breakfast backdrop.
    CollegeBound Initiative alumnusPhilip Osei and his mentor Stephen Siegel
  • A smiling college student stands at a podium, gesturing with her hand toward the audience while speaking into a microphone at the (Em)Power Breakfast
    Michelle A., alumna of Young Women’s Leadership affiliate GALA
  • A large group of students stands on stage at a Student Leadership Network event, with a photo of the group projected on the screen behind them.
    Students and alumni gather on stage for TYWLS alumna Dr. Nene Sy’s speech
  • A woman in a dark blazer speaks at a podium before a diverse group of students.
    Alumna Dr. Nene Sy
  • A group of sixteen men and women in professional attire posing for a photo in front of an (Em)Power Breakfast Building Dreams backdrop.
    Student Leadership Network’s Board of Trustees and Champions
  • Six students stand on a stage in front of a yellow banner during the Student Leadership Network [Em]POWER Breakfast, with one student speaking into a microphone at a podium.
    TYWLS Astoria Robotics Team
  • Two young women stand smiling in front of a repeating backdrop featuring logos for the Estée Lauder Companies and the Student Leadership Network.
    Alumnae Tyra Riedemonn and Fernanda P.
  • A group of four students and a man in a suit stand together in front of a Student Leadership Network branded backdrop.
    CollegeBound Initiative partner school guests

Laying a Foundation and Building Dreams

Alumna Nene Sy hugs Ann Tisch on stage at the (Em)Power Breakfast
Founder and President Ann Tisch receives a hug from alumna Dr. Nene Sy

Ann Tisch, Student Leadership Network’s visionary Founder and President, dreamed of building a school that would provide access to college and empower girls from underserved communities. Covering hundreds of stories in her career as a journalist at NBC News, she saw time and again that poverty was a more lasting problem for women and children, and that the way out was access to education. The foundation for a girls’ public school launched in those moments.

“We can never give up on generations of students,” Ann remarked from the podium. “When you consider the fact that close to 160 million girls across the globe are forbidden from going to school, we’ve got to know that we are the lucky ones, and we must persevere.” Standing on a stage surrounded by students and alumni impacted by Student Leadership Network, Ann added, “There are hundreds of people who have made history with us this day. It’s every one of you, making 30 years of success happen! Thank you.”

Today, the young women and young men across the organization’s Girls’+ Education and College Access and Success programs can build their own dreams for success with the support and guidance of a national network of schools and educators dedicated to their futures. Reflecting on the enduring commitment to expanding educational opportunity, Yolonda Marshall, CEO of Student Leadership Network, shared her parents’ journey to attaining their education in the segregated South, which laid the foundation for her and her siblings’ future.

Yolonda Marshall speaks at a podium in front of a yellow banner for the Student Leadership Network [Em]POWER Breakfast with the text Building Dreams.
Yolonda Marshall, CEO of Student Leadership Network

“The work that we do at Student Leadership Network is deeply personal,” she said. “We know that college education still remains the most powerful lever for economic mobility over the course of a lifetime. And we would not be celebrating such inspiring results were it not for so many of our friends, our believers, and our advocates here today. Thank you!”

Over 30 years, our students’ achievements include:

900

Colleges attended across the country

12,000+

Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees

1,000+

Advanced Degrees

500,000

College Applications Submitted

Life-Changing Girls’+ Education and College Access Programs

Beginning with the launch of The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of East Harlem in 1996, the first school’s success led to five more TYWLS across each borough of New York City and a national network of Young Women’s Leadership affiliate schools. The organization expanded with the CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) in 2001, a college access and success program that places dedicated college counselors in public schools to help all students navigate college applications, financial aid, enrollment, and the transition to higher education.

Graduates of our partner high schools have a college enrollment rate that’s 29 percentage points higher than high-poverty high schools nationwide. Three decades in, the organization continues to provide life-changing programs that empower youth from underserved communities across the country, creating cycles of prosperity through education.

Watch how our alumni are building their dreams!

The Young Women’s Leadership Schools

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Tyra Riedemonn, a Director of College Counseling at Student Leadership Network, and Fernanda Paz, a student at Haverford College, reflected on how their experiences in Young Women’s Leadership Schools shaped their journeys.

Student Leadership Network founded six TYWLS schools across New York City.

CollegeBound Initiative

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Philip Osei, an alumnus of a CollegeBound Initiative partner school, reflected on how dedicated college counseling and career exposure prepared him for a career in real estate at CBRE. One handshake with Stephen Siegel, Chairman of Global Brokerage at CBRE, changed his life’s trajectory.

42 public high schools across the country are using the organization’s CollegeBound Initiative model.

Affiliates and Expansion Programs

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As the program expanded to affiliate schools nationwide, graduates serve as role models for younger students at their alma maters and at their sister schools. Michelle Artiga Rivera, an alumna of affiliate school Girls Academic Leadership Academy in Los Angeles, visited TYWLS Astoria and shared her path to studying STEM at the University of Pennsylvania.

A national network of 25 girls’+ schools is using the organization’s Young Women’s Leadership model.

Student Robotics Showcase

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Students from TYWLS Astoria’s robotics team invited the audience to a behind-the-scenes look at their preparation for this year’s robotics competitions. These students represent the future of women in STEM!

Invest in Students’ Paths to College

Gratitude for Our Supporters

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this milestone (Em)Power Breakfast! Your commitment equips our students with the tools and resources they deserve to build their dreams and reach their full potential. Special thanks to all of our supporters, especially to our lead sponsors: The Estée Lauder Companies; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Fredda Cassell and Jim Maher; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; and Caryn Zucker and David Rubenstein.

Sponsor list for Student Leadership Network (Em)PowerBreakfast featuring the Estée Lauder Companies, a donation QR code, and a list of individual and corporate donors.
Thank you to our Sponsors
Donate to Expand Educational Opportunity

Enjoy more (Em)Power Breakfast photos!

  • A woman in a leather blazer holds a smartphone to take a group selfie with four other people at an indoor event.
  • Six students stand in a row in front of a branded backdrop, each holding a copy of a book titled Building Dreams.
  • Two smiling women wearing crowns stand in front of a Student Leadership Network step-and-repeat backdrop.
  • Seven people stand in a row smiling in front of a step-and-repeat backdrop for the Estée Lauder Companies Student Leadership Network.
  • Seven people posing for a group photo at an indoor event.
  • A group of eleven people posing for a photo in front of a backdrop featuring Estée Lauder Companies and Building Dreams branding.
  • A group of six people posing for a photo in front of a branded Estée Lauder Companies backdrop.
  • A young woman in a hijab and a Young Womens Leadership School t-shirt speaks at a podium, with another young woman standing behind her.
  • Four women sit together at a round banquet table set with pastries and drinks at an indoor event.
  • Four women posing in front of a branded Estée Lauder Companies event backdrop.
  • A large group of students and adults posing for a photo in front of a Estée Lauder Building Dreams banner.
  • Three women stand smiling together at an indoor event with dining tables in the background.
  • A group of seven students and an adult posing in front of a branded step-and-repeat backdrop for an Estée Lauder Companies student leadership event.
  • Three people posing for a photo at an event with a step-and-repeat backdrop.
  • A group of seventeen people pose for a photo in front of a Building Dreams event backdrop.
  • Four people seated at a round table with desserts and place cards in a dimly lit venue.
  • Eight women posing for a group photo in front of a branded Estée Lauder Companies Building Dreams event backdrop.
  • Four women smiling together at an indoor event.
  • Three people sit at a table with event programs, smiling toward the camera.
  • A group of fifteen men and women posing for a formal portrait in front of a branded backdrop.
  • A group of eleven men and women posed for a portrait in front of a branded backdrop for Estée Lauder Companies.
  • A large group of people seated at round tables during an evening banquet in an ornate ballroom.
  • A group of five people posing for a photo in front of a backdrop branded with the Estée Lauder Companies and Student Leadership Network logos.
  • Four people stand in a row posing in front of a step-and-repeat banner for the Estée Lauder Companies Student Leadership Network Building Dreams event.
  • Three women sitting at a banquet table talking and smiling during an event.
  • A group of people wearing hats and props at a Student Leadership Network event, with one person holding a film clapboard.
  • Two women smiling and clinking glasses of champagne at an event while a server stands nearby.
  • Six people posing for a photo in front of a branded event backdrop.
  • Four women smiling and posing for a group photo at an indoor event.
  • A group of twelve people posing for a photo in front of a backdrop featuring Estée Lauder Companies and Building Dreams branding.
  • Six people posing for a photo in front of an Estée Lauder Building Dreams event backdrop.
  • A group of ten diverse professionals pose for a photo in front of a branded event backdrop for the Estée Lauder Companies Student Leadership Network.
  • Three men in suits talk and laugh together at an indoor event.
  • Six people stand in a line smiling in front of a step-and-repeat banner for the Estée Lauder Companies Student Leadership Network.
  • A group of eight women and girls standing in a row in front of a branded backdrop for the Estée Lauder Companies Student Leadership Network.
  • Five students and a man in a suit stand together in front of a branded step-and-repeat backdrop for the Estée Lauder Companies Building Dreams event.
  • Nine people standing in a row in front of a backdrop branded with the Estée Lauder Companies and Building Dreams logos.
  • A group of eight people stand together for a photo in front of a step-and-repeat backdrop featuring the Estée Lauder Companies Building Dreams event logo.
  • Five women posing for a photo in front of a repeating Building Dreams banner.
  • A group of thirteen students and two adults standing in front of an Estée Lauder Companies Building Dreams event backdrop.
  • A large group of people posing for a photo in front of an Estée Lauder Building Dreams banner inside an ornate building.
  • A group of seventeen people posed in front of a branded Building Dreams backdrop at an Estée Lauder Companies event.

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