Student Leadership Network to Celebrate 30 Years of Expanding Educational Opportunity at Nov. 4 (Em)Power Breakfast
NEW YORK, NY/October 28, 2026/EIN Presswire/ — Student Leadership Network will host its (Em)Power Breakfast on November 4, 2026, at Cipriani 42nd Street to celebrate its 30th anniversary and recognize its work expanding access to higher education for students from underserved communities. Emmy Award-winning television journalist Deborah Roberts will return to emcee the milestone event.
Over three decades, Student Leadership Network has impacted the lives of more than 100,000 young people through its college access and girls’+ education programs. “This year’s (Em)Power Breakfast is a milestone celebration, marking 30 years of transformative work and the enduring power of education,” said Yolonda Marshall, CEO of Student Leadership Network. “The event represents the very best of what’s possible when we invest in young people and provide them with access to the educational opportunities they deserve.”
At the (Em)Power Breakfast, educational opportunity and achievement come full circle as middle and high school students from our partner schools invite distinguished alumni to share how Student Leadership Network shaped their personal and professional journeys. Featured alumni include:
Tyra Riedemonn 
Fernanda Paz
Tyra Riedemonn, a Director of College Counseling at Student Leadership Network, and Fernanda Paz, a college student at Haverford College, will reflect on how their experiences in Young Women’s Leadership Schools shaped their journeys.
Philip Osei, an alumnus of a CollegeBound Initiative partner school, will share how dedicated college counseling and career exposure prepared him for a career in real estate at CBRE.
Michelle Artiga Rivera, a college student and alumna of a Young Women’s Leadership affiliate school in Los Angeles, will share how the organization helped her pursue her interest in STEM, a field in which women remain underrepresented, and attend the University of Pennsylvania.
The event will also feature a short film highlighting the award-winning robotics team from The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria.
Beginning with the launch of The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of East Harlem in 1996, Student Leadership Network’s Founder and Board President, Ann Tisch, envisioned a rigorous, nurturing, high-quality public education for girls, where they could thrive regardless of what zip codes they live in. The success of the first school led to the establishment of 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), 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 29% higher than their peers nationwide. Today, the organization continues to provide life-changing programs that empower youth from underserved communities across the country, creating cycles of prosperity through education.
(Em)Power Breakfast Sponsors
Student Leadership Network’s impact is possible thanks to the steadfast support of many partners, donors, volunteers, schools, and staff throughout the past thirty years. The (Em)Power Breakfast celebration is made possible by support from generous and longtime supporters: The Estée Lauder Companies; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Fredda Cassell and Jim Maher; and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
Tickets and tables for the event are available at https://empower2026.funraise.org/.
