The names of our 200+ volunteers fill the shape of a star and the words "Thank You" appear alongside under a National Volunteer Week 2023 sticker

We were so excited to bring back in-person programs this year, and we are so proud of how our supporters came out in force. As we celebrate National Volunteer Week, we are so thankful for our 200+ volunteers who have made a stellar impact this year!

Cool Careers, Potential Paths

Cool Careers, Potential Paths (formerly Cool Women, Hot Jobs) is our signature career-day series at The Young Women’s Leadership Schools (TYWLS). Volunteers are invited to share their unique educational and career trajectory stories with our students.

TYWLS Brooklyn

Cool Careers, Potential Paths kicked off at TYWLS Brooklyn at the end of February! Throughout the morning, volunteers had 30-minute blocks to speak to different classes, where they shared their own stories and let students ask questions. The represented organizations included The Estee Lauder Companies, theSkimm, PepsiCo, and more.

“It was really rewarding to see students so engaged in potential career opportunities, and it’s really fun for me working at Pepsi to see how much they know and love our brand.” – Jenny, PepsiCo

Volunteer takes questions from students about her work.

Volunteer takes questions from students about her work.

Students listen thoughtfully to a volunteer presentation.

Students listen to a volunteer presentation thoughtfully.

Volunteer from theSkimm talks to students about starting a media company.

A volunteer from theSkimm talks to students about her experience starting a media company.

An entrepreneur in the fashion industry talks to students about starting a business.

An entrepreneur in the fashion industry talks to students about starting a business.

An employee from The Estee Lauder Companies talks to students about her job.

An employee from The Estée Lauder Companies talks to students about her work.

Volunteer talks to students about her job at PepsiCo

An employee from PepsiCo talks to students about her experience working for the Pepsi brand.

Volunteer speaks to TYWLS Brooklyn students about her work as a lawyer.

A volunteer talks to students about her work as a lawyer.

Group of students and volunteers pose at TYWLS Brooklyn.

A group of students and volunteers pose at TYWLS Brooklyn.

A volunteer talks students through the process of prototyping makeup.

Volunteers had the opportunity to present to small classes at TYWLS Astoria.

TYWLS Astoria

At TYWLS Astoria, students had the opportunity to connect with volunteers representing a variety of organizations, including Turner Construction Company, Warburg Pincus LLC, and CVS Health. Yolonda Marshall, SL Network CEO, attended this event to connect with our volunteers. Before the classroom sessions began, she provided opening remarks.

TYWLS Staten Island

This Cool Careers, Potential Paths event started with a panel of sixth-grade students who spoke to volunteers about the values of their school and the student council organization. Student ambassadors then took volunteers on a tour of their school. Finally, students and volunteers went to the gymnasium, where students were split into groups and given 10 minutes to have in-depth discussions with each volunteer before switching to another one.

Student ambassadors give volunteers a tour of their school.

Student ambassadors give volunteers a tour of their school.

Women's History Month bulletin board at TYWLS Staten Island.

Women’s History Month bulletin board at TYWLS Staten Island.

Students share their "Glows & Grows" bulletin board with volunteers.

Students show volunteers their “Glows & Grows” bulletin board.

Volunteers listen to a student panel at TYWLS Staten Island.

Volunteers listen to a student panel.

Students talk to employees from The Estee Lauder Companies about their work.

Employees from The Estée Lauder Companies talk to students about their work.

Students have the opportunity to ask volunteers questions about their careers.

Students have the opportunity to ask volunteers questions about their career paths.

Students and volunteers have a thoughtful discussion.

Students and volunteers engage in a thoughtful discussion.

A group of students and volunteers pose at TYWLS Staten Island.

Students and volunteers pose together at TYWLS Staten Island.

Students heard from volunteers in many industries including real estate, retail, and finance.

Students were encouraged to be intentional about the people they sorround themselves with.

Volunteers shared the importance of being open to opportunities that come up.

Students learn about Tredway’s work in affordable housing.

Nike’s Brandon tells students it’s ok not to have everything figured out immediately.

An impressive number of volunteers had an incredible impact at TYWLS East Harlem.

TYWLS East Harlem

Our largest group of volunteers this year, we were thrilled to see how many supporters showed up at TYWLS East Harlem to share their stories with our students. Companies like Target, Estee Lauder Companies, and American Express were strongly represented, with large numbers of their employees attending.

“Find the passion for what you do because sometimes it can get hard or frustrating. You want to wake up in the morning and it be a blessing what you do – not taxing.” – Nicole, Mt. Sinai Health Systems

TYWLS Queens

Volunteers at TYWLS Queens started the morning with an information session and were then guided to classrooms by student ambassadors. Volunteers had 45-minute blocks to speak to students from 6th-12th grade and allow students to ask their questions. Students were excited to see a range of roles represented, including a role in corporate finance, a makeup artist, and a school counselor.

“My advice to the students was to think about how you carry yourself – it’s important to always make positive connections, and to put yourself out there.” – Janna, East Rockaway School District

A group of students and volunteers pose together at TYWLS Queens.

A group of students and volunteers pose together at TYWLS Queens.

Students talk to an employee from MAC Cosmetics about her work.

An employee from MAC Cosmetics talks to students about her work.

Students learn about the work of a school counselor from a volunteer.

Students learn about the work of a school counselor from a volunteer.

Students listen thoughtfully to a volunteer presentation.

Students listen thoughtfully to a volunteer presentation.

Students learn about the educational pathway to becoming a teacher.

Students learn about the educational pathway to becoming a teacher.

An employee from AMEX speaks to students about his work.

An employee from AMEX presents about his work.

Students learn about the work of a journalist.

Students learn about the work of a journalist from a volunteer.

Students learn about a career in finance.

Students learn about a career in finance from a volunteer.

Volunteers at TYWLS Bronx pose for a group picture with student ambassadors.

Autumn was one of many TYWLS alumnae who met with TYWLS Bronx students.

Volunteers with similar backgrounds to our students shared the opportunities that set them on their career paths.

Students learned about how certain fields that used to be male dominated are changing thanks to trailblazing women.

Long-time volunteer, and current SL Network COO, Sara tells students about the importance of collaboration.

Students get the most our of networking and enquire, and volunteer, about interning opportunities!

TYWLS Bronx students are determined, persistent, and confident in their abilities.

A volunteer shares the importance of maintaining work/life balance.

TYWLS Bronx

Nearly 50 volunteers spent a morning at TYWLS Bronx where they got to know our 6th to 8th-grade students. Even though this was one of our youngest groups of students, volunteers noted how insightful and probing the questions they received were. Additionally, we were excited to see a large contingent of TYWLS alumnae attend this particular event!

“I got to study abroad, and that changed my world. Just seeing there are other opportunities for kids like me, and knowing ‘I can do it’ – that’s pushed me forward to want to do more and believe in myself ” – Luis, Teach for America

TYWLS at the Workplace

TYWLS at the Workplace coordinates a day in professional worksites for our 10th-grade students. Students across all six schools visit partner companies in small groups for an opportunity to learn and see what a day in the life of employees in different roles is like. Click below to learn more about the workplaces we’ve visited so far this year.

TYWLS at Apollo Global Management
TYWLS at Deutsche Bank
TYWLS at Estee Lauder Companies
TYWLS at SONY

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Brad Ruskin

Board Chair

Brad Ruskin joined Student Leadership Network’s Board of Directors in 2014 and was elected Board Chair in 2023. He believes passionately in equity for all students.

Brad is a Partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, and has tried a significant number of high profile, headline-generating cases to verdict, each one with a complete victory for Proskauer’s clients on issues ranging from so-called “bet-the-company” antitrust challenges to questions of Russian constitutional and military law. He currently serves as a Director of the Legal Aid Society, the nation’s oldest and largest legal services provider to the indigent. He also serves on its Executive Committee. He is a frequently published author of articles, has taught a graduate school class at NYU’s Tisch School, and has testified before legislative and other bodies concerning the administration of justice and court operations in New York State.

Beth Cohen

Senior Managing Director, Growth Strategy and Development

Beth H. Cohen is passionate about connecting people, ideas, and resources to create a more equitable world. Throughout her career, she has successfully managed teams for various impactful organizations to generate over $150M.

For the past decade, Beth has worked to generate support for initiatives that allow young people across the U.S. to gain access to transformative educational opportunities. In September 2022, she joined Student Leadership Network as Senior Managing Director of Growth, Strategy, and Development. Previously, Beth served as Vice President of External Relations at New Classrooms. At New Classrooms, she led the fundraising team to raise over $80M to support the growth and expansion of innovative learning models. Before that, Beth served as Vice President of Leadership Gifts at Teach for America, where she cultivated the organization’s largest national supporters and champions.

Early in her career, Beth focused on international poverty issues. From 2001-2011, she was Director of the Synergos Institute’s Global Philanthropists Circle, a dynamic network of leading philanthropists addressing questions of strategy, meaning, and impact.  Previously, she worked with Catholic Relief Services as Senior Program Manager in Lima, Peru, and as an Internal Program Auditor. As an Internal Program Auditor, she assessed the effectiveness of diverse programs in Africa, Latin America, and the Balkans. Beth also worked as a Change Management Consultant for Andersen Consulting, where she designed and developed training programs for public sector clients in Texas and Puerto Rico.

Beth holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a joint Master’s degree in Public Affairs and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, teenage daughters, and fluffy bernedoodle.

Sara Clarke

Chief Operating Officer

Sara C. Clarke is the Chief Operating Officer of Student Leadership Network. As a dedicated TYWLS volunteer and active contributor for 15 years, Sara is delighted to join the organization to apply her collaborative leadership and business acumen to help drive increased scale and impact. She brings over 20 years of experience at the confluence of strategic analysis, project management, and talent development. Sara has a proven commitment to equity and access to opportunity through decades of volunteer leadership focused on literacy, education, and career advancement.

Sara was most recently the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Analysis, and Collaboration at Showtime Networks Inc. She oversaw an adaptable, solution-oriented team, providing competitive analysis and strategic recommendations that helped Showtime exceed its performance targets. Earlier in her career, Sara was a consultant for Accenture in the Media and Entertainment practice. She serves as Co-President of the HBS African-American Alumni Association and has also served on the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications, chairing the award-winning Prime Access Executive Mentoring program and community service committee.

Sara holds a master’s degree from Harvard Business School in Business Administration, and a bachelor’s degree with honors in Modern Culture and Media from Brown University.

Meg Kayman

Managing Director, Finance and Administration

[email protected]

Meg is the Managing Director of Finance and Administration and has been with the organization since March 2009.  During that period, the organization has grown from a budget of $3.5 million to $11.0 million. She is part of the Administration Team which is responsible for building infrastructure to support the growing needs of the organization.

Prior to Student Leadership Network, Meg worked in the Financial Services Industry including positions as an equity research analyst at Goldman Sachs and a senior research analyst at General Electric’s Commercial Finance Division.  She also has been an active volunteer with numerous non-profit organizations and a board member of the HIV Law Project from 2005 to 2013.  She holds a B.A. in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Michigan State University and an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University.

Rob Robinson

Senior Managing Director, CollegeBound Initiative

[email protected]

Robert Robinson is the Senior Managing Director of CollegeBound Initiative (CBI). Prior to joining Student Leadership Network’s central office team in 2008, he served as director of college counseling for CBI at two Brooklyn high schools: Juan Morel Campos and Middle College High School at Medgar Evers College. As a college counselor, Robert worked primarily with first-generation students of color with the goal of preparing them academically and financially for college enrollment. Before joining CBI, Robert served as an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at his Alma Mater, New York University (NYU) for nearly four years where he worked specifically with the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) in an effort to increase minority and financially disadvantaged student enrollment.

Robert received both his Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and his Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from NYU.  He has also spent a summer in South Africa where he had the opportunity to study higher education and social reform. Robert prides himself on being an active member of his community.  He has volunteered with various non-profit organizations such as Grand Street Settlement and Publicolor. As a member of the New York State Association for College Admissions Counseling (NYSACAC), he has served as a Conference Presenter, Workshop Moderator and Planning Committee member. He has also served as a Summer Institute Mentor where his responsibilities included training new high school and college admissions counselors.

Laura Rebell Gross

Senior Managing Director, Girls’ Education National Team

[email protected]

Laura Rebell Gross is the Senior Managing Director for the Girls’ Education National Team — comprising The Young Women’s Leadership Schools (TYWLS) and Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN) — which serves more than 10,000 students every year. A leader in the education field for decades, Laura implements a vision for developing innovative programs that enrich students’ lives, create experiential leadership opportunities, and build a path to college. Her expertise is widely recognized and she has been honored by Jewish Women International and The Center for the Women of New York. Laura is a national speaker and expert on girls’ public education.

To impact the lives of girls beyond New York City, Laura co-founded the Young Women’s Charter Prep School of Rochester, a YWLN affiliate, and takes the lead in identifying and establishing new school affiliates nationwide. Notably, Laura’s path to leadership started as a public school teacher, including serving as an English teacher at SL Network’s flagship school in East Harlem for six years.  She earned a BA from Tufts University, an MAT from Brown University, and has completed coursework toward an Ed. D. in Curriculum and Teaching at Teacher’s College, Columbia University and the Warner School, University of Rochester.

Jon Roure

Executive VP & Chief Innovation Officer

[email protected]

Jon Roure is the Executive Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for the Student Leadership Network. As the organization’s first CIO, Jon oversees program planning and implementation across the network. He continues to provide overall leadership to CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) while developing the work streams that support the organization’s strategic planning efforts. This includes increased focus and programming around alumni engagement, research and evaluation, and national expansion via Young Women’s Leadership Network affiliate schools.

Prior to this year, Jon served as the Senior Managing Director of CBI for many years and totals decades of college counseling and management experience in both the higher education and nonprofit sectors. Jon began his career at Columbia University as an Early Intervention Initiative Coordinator for the Double Discovery Program and a College Advisor for Columbia’s Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). In 2001, Jon was hired by SL Network (formerly Young Women’s Leadership Network) as one of four inaugural counselors to pilot CBI in some of New York City’s Title 1 public high schools.  He served as a CBI director of college counseling at Health Opportunities High School for almost five years where he worked to build a college-going culture with its families, faculty, and staff that helped guide nearly 400 students to college.

Jon holds a B.A. in Sociology (1998) with a minor in Professional Youth Work from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Student Personnel Administration (1999) from Teachers College, Columbia University.  He is a proud alumnus of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF) at Rutgers University and is an example of what opportunity and access to higher education can do for first generation students.

Lesley Guggenheim

Chief Operating Officer

[email protected]

Prior to joining Student Leadership Network Lesley spent 15 years supporting school systems, schools, and educators across the country to ensure students in under-resourced schools have access to the excellent education they deserve. She began her career working at – and later leading – the NYC Teaching Fellows (NYCTF) program and later became a Partner and then a Vice President at TNTP (formerly The New Teaching Project). Lesley has a BA in political science from Union College and an MPA in non-profit management from New York University’s Wagner School.

Yolonda Marshall

Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

Yolonda Marshall has committed nearly two decades of her life working to ensure that children growing up in underserved communities across the country receive the education they deserve.  She is Student Leadership Network’s first-ever Chief Executive Officer charged with overseeing the management of the organization’s $13M budget, leading the implementation of the organization’s strategic direction, operations and ensuring that the organization is a great place to work and grow.

Prior to joining Student Leadership Network, Mrs. Marshall served as the Deputy Chief Officer, Regional Programs for New Leaders; an organization whose mission is to ensure high academic achievement for all children, especially students in poverty and students of color, by developing transformational school leaders and advancing the policies and practices that allow great leaders to succeed.  In this role, Mrs. Marshall was responsible for managing a team of Executive Directors who led all local program implementation, client engagement and management of 70+ staff across the country.

Mrs. Marshall began her education non-profit career with Teach For America where she held a number of leadership roles on their national development and human assets team, and also served as Interim Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia region. Prior to joining Teach For America, Mrs. Marshall had a 14 year career with Showtime Networks Inc where she honed her sales and marketing skills, provided strategic direction to the nation’s top cable companies and managed a team of marketing specialists that created and executed comprehensive marketing plans to help launch critically acclaimed and Emmy award winning programming.

Mrs. Marshall received her BS degree in Marketing from Tuskegee University and her MBA with a concentration in Marketing and Media Management from Columbia Business School.

Ann Rubenstein Tisch

Founder and President

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Ann began a 19-year career in broadcast journalism at WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas. She then moved to WCOO-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and later joined NBC Network News as a national correspondent, where she developed a strong interest in educational issues.

After covering dozens of education stories for the network and reading and studying data on single-sex education, she was inspired to create an all-girls inner-city public school to serve disadvantaged families. In 1996, with the unanimous approval of the New York City Board of Education, Ann turned her idea into a reality and opened The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of East Harlem – the first public all-girls school to open in the United States in 30 years. Her vision was to provide students growing up in underserved communities a high-quality college preparatory education modeled on the finest private schools.

Ann was educated at Washington University in St. Louis, where she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in psychology and sociology. She currently serves as a trustee on the Board of Washington University in St. Louis. She also serves on the Dean’s Council of The New York University Tisch School of the Arts and is a trustee of the Center for Educational Innovation. She consults with many school districts and parent groups across the country about creating schools similar to TYWLS.

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