Blue background with gold circles and stars, large yellow text reads Thank You! with Volunteer Appreciation Week 2026 and Student Leadership Network logo below.

Volunteer Appreciation Week

Our volunteers are superstars! We are grateful for all of the ways that volunteers share their time and talents with our students. They offer insights about their career paths, share tips from their college experiences, and more. Meet some of our champions below!

Want to get involved? Volunteer at our Cool Careers, Potential Paths event at TYWLS Staten Island on May 21, 2026.

Sign Up to Volunteer
  • Panelists seated at a table share stories of taking gap time from school or work
    Panelists share stories of taking gap time from school or work.
  • A group of women and girls pose together in a classroom, with college banners on the walls and a presentation screen in the background.
    Strong alumnae volunteer turnout at TYWLS Queens for its 20th Anniversary
  • Six people pose indoors at a Student Leadership Network event, with three holding a sign that reads I ♥ APOLLO.
    Thank you, Apollo volunteers!
  • A group of seven people stands in a classroom in front of college pennants and a bulletin board, posing for a photo.
    Cool Careers at TYWLS Manhattan
  • Three people sit at a table talking and looking at documents, with more groups seated and conversing at other tables in the background.
    Volunteers share career advice with students
  • A group of students and adults pose indoors in front of a screen displaying Cool Careers, Potential Paths. Some hold a sign with a heart and the word Kindness.
    Thank you, Kinnect volunteers!

Meet Our Volunteers

Diamond Franklin

A graduate of The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of Queens, Diamond volunteered as a panelist and activity facilitator at our Future Success Symposium to share how she managed the anxiety of job searching and stayed strategic in the process. While earning a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Alfred State and an MBA from CUNY Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business, she built relationships with mentors and took her time to find roles that aligned with her field of study. Thank you for returning and for sharing your advice with the students, Diamond!

A woman with glasses and shoulder-length hair wearing a patterned blouse and blazer, smiling in front of a blue background with stars and circles.
Diamond Franklin
Equity Research Analyst, Grandfield & Dodd, LLC

Helping students realize that no matter the path we take, each experience is uniquely our own. At the same time, recognizing the shared moments along the way reminds us that we are never navigating it alone. I’m constantly inspired by the next generation’s drive to push beyond what came before them.

-Diamond

Marquise Menifield

Ten years after graduating from Bronx Envision Academy, Marquise Menifield returned to the school for the first time as a Career Day volunteer. Visiting Gina Jones, his former Director of College Counseling, brought back fond memories of his college application process and journey to Mercy University. An entrepreneur who juggles personal training with helping coaches grow their own businesses, Marquise shared his experiences with students and emphasized the importance of networking. Thanks for returning to your alma mater and for sharing your journey, Marquise!

My advice to students is to expand your circle and talk to more people. Build real relationships. As you get older and start applying for jobs, connections are arguably more important than certifications.

-Marquise
A man with short black hair, a beard, and mustache is in front of a blue background with stars and circles - a design used for Volunteer Appreciation Week content on the page
Marquise Menifield
Entrepreneur

Stacy Rankin

Since 2022, our college-bound capacity-building work has continued to grow in Buffalo through strong community partnerships. This school year, we are collaborating with Say Yes Buffalo to offer Saturday and evening programming at Buffalo Public Schools Community Schools — public schools that use a “full-service, whole-child” model to connect families with resources and dynamic programming that improve student outcomes.

Stacy Rankin from Say Yes Buffalo is a key partner in helping students shape their post-secondary plans. She supports our “Shut-In Days” to assist with financial aid and scholarship support, and visits each of our partner schools to work with our team on Say Yes scholarship applications. Her consistent presence and commitment to students extend beyond individual events, allowing us to better serve students and families together year-round. We appreciate your partnership, Stacy!

Woman with long brown hair smiling in front of a blue background with decorative stars and circles, a design used for Volunteer Appreciation Week content on the page
Stacy Rankin
Scholarship Supervisor, High School Outreach, Say Yes Buffalo

Applying to college, essays, financial aid, and scholarship applications can be overwhelming, but when you see it click for students that college can be obtainable and affordable, it makes it all worthwhile.

-Stacy

Jordan Velazquez

Jordan Velazquez is a constant and joyful presence at South Park High School, a CollegeBound Initiative partner school in Buffalo. Inspired by watching his mother model tough love and steady support within Buffalo Public Schools (BPS), he now channels that same spirit as a Community Resource Leader for BPS, connecting students and families with essential resources beyond academic support.

He is equally enthusiastic about his partnership with Kayla Powell, Senior Manager of College Access Services at Student Leadership Network, whom he describes as ‘a light in that building’ who gets both students and parents to show up and engage. From volunteering at financial aid events to FAFSA completion days and more, Jordan’s dedication to our shared community makes a lasting impact. Thank you, Jordan!

That opportunity to meet with parents when I volunteer with Student Leadership Network is the perfect way to break the ice and also connect them to the community resources that I manage. When I work with Kayla to help a family apply for financial aid or figure out what meal plan or dorm works for them, it’s very fulfilling to help that child prepare to enter the adult world.

-Jordan
A person with neatly groomed facial hair and short hair smiles slightly, wearing a black shirt and gold chain, with a blue background featuring stars and circular light effects
Jordan Velazquez
Community Resource Leader, Department of Family and Community Engagement, Buffalo Public Schools

Partner Organizations

Corporate partners, local businesses, and fellow nonprofits expand our students’ awareness of different careers, provide mentorship and internship opportunities, and so much more. Many thanks to all of the individuals from partner organizations who have hosted students this year or volunteered at our events!

  • Apollo Global Management
  • Arts Ignite
  • Deutsche Bank
  • Citibank
  • FourLeaf FCU
  • KITH Kinnect
  • Legal Aid Society
  • The Nicotra Group LLC
  • NYU Langone Health
  • PepsiCo
  • RBC
  • Ridgewood Savings Bank
  • Four young women stand together smiling, two holding signs for NYU Langone Health and Paylocity, in front of a Student Leadership Network banner.
  • A group of adults and students pose together on bleachers in a gym, with a “Student Leadership Network” banner displayed on the right side.
  • Three adults stand together in a classroom decorated with college pennants, a map, and educational posters.
  • A group of people poses at a ribbon-cutting ceremony inside TYWLS Staten Island
  • Three women stand together in a gymnasium, each holding a program booklet and wearing name tags, posing for a photo at an indoor event.
  • A group of thirteen people poses indoors in front of bleachers; three hold signs that read Student Leadership Network, CollegeBound Initiative, Apollo.
  • Panelists seated at a table share stories of taking gap time from school or work
  • Four women sit in a modern office lounge, engaged in conversation. Papers and a smartphone are on the table nearby. Large windows overlook city buildings.
  • Four young men stand in front of a college counseling office, smiling at the camera; one wears a military uniform while the others are dressed casually.
  • A group of students and adults sit at tables engaged in conversation, with papers, water bottles, and notebooks on the tables in a classroom setting.
  • A woman in a gray blazer sits at a table, speaking and gesturing with her hand, while others listen in a classroom setting.
  • Five people stand together indoors in front of a Student Leadership Network banner, posing for a group photo at an event
  • Two women address a group seated at cafeteria tables; international flags are displayed on the wall behind them. Papers and a tablet are on the tables.
  • A group of young adults stands and kneels together, smiling for a photo in front of blue lockers during Alumni Day to give advice about college decisions
  • A group of people stands together in a classroom, posing for a photo in front of a board and banner, some smiling and wearing name tags.
  • A group of students and adults pose indoors in front of a projector screen and a Student Leadership Network banner. Some are seated, while others stand behind them.
  • Four alumna stand and smile in an office with a Student Leadership Network sign on the wall behind them.
  • Two women stand at the front of a classroom speaking to students seated at desks. Lockers line the back wall, and a large screen with charts is visible on the left.

Want to get involved?

A group of students and adults pose for a photo in a classroom next to a presentation screen; text reads Cool Careers, Potential Paths. Volunteer Week opportunity to get involved

Our last volunteer event of the school year is Cool Careers, Potential Paths, hosted at TYWLS Staten Island. Please join us to share your professional journeys with our students!

TYWLS Staten Island
1441 South Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10314
Thursday, May 21, 2026 from 8:15-11:00am

Sign up to volunteer