Yellow and blue "Thank You" text next to a circular cap and gown motif with "Volunteer Week '24" in center of circle

Volunteer Appreciation Week

We are grateful for all of the ways that our volunteers share their time and talents with our students. They offer insights about their career paths, share tips from their college experiences, and more. We were delighted to host a Volunteer Appreciation Night earlier this month to thank our volunteers. Meet some of our champions below and find out how you can get involved!

Students and adult volunteer sit at classroom tables, looking over a stack of magazines the volunteer brought.

Volunteers and students at Cool Careers, Potential Paths

Alumni and staff wearing college t-shirts gather for group photo

Alumni return to share college transition tips at Collegiate Send Off

Sharing a laugh about college and career pivots

Volunteers are seated in groups of 2 or 3, with two adults at front of room giving a welcome speech

Volunteer Appreciation Night hosted at the Skimm

Over 30 adults and students in a classroom, some seated and some standing, facing camera for photo.

Volunteer orientation at TYWLS Bronx

Large group of students and adult volunteers are seated for photo in gymnasium

Student ambassadors and volunteers at TYWLS Manhattan

Over 40 adult volunteers and students in a science lab, some seated and some standing.

Volunteers at TYWLS Queens

Ariadne Reza

Ariadne’s family has first-hand experience of the power of girls’ education. Her sister is a TYWLS alumna and she recalls the feelings of empowerment and inclusion at the school’s events. “I remember helping her fill out her application and being jealous that I was too old to go there!” Ariadne has since volunteered at several Cool Careers, Potential Paths events to share her education and career journey with current students.

Young woman with wavy brown hair in black shirt smiles at camera

Ariadne has volunteered for several career events across the city!

Six adult volunteers gather around a school sign in the gymnasium

Ariadne and other Citi volunteers at a Cool Careers event

Ariadne, center panelist, and other volunteers talk about their career choices

Quote graphic with text "I do my best to remind them they are strong, powerful, and capable because I know I really needed to hear that at their age."

Nora Anzer

Nora, a graduate of TYWLS Astoria, volunteered at a Collegiate Send Off event to share about life at Baruch with high school seniors who were about to transition to college. We’re grateful Nora’s advice helped put the seniors at ease as they began their own college journeys!

Quote graphic with text: "Volunteering as an alumni is incredible. I'm now in a position where I can give advice based on the experiences that I've had."
Eight young women in matching "Collegiate Send Off" t-shirts pose for a photo in an auditorium

Nora, third from left, and fellow alumni volunteers at our Collegiate Send Off for high school students

Young woman with long hair and hoop earrings is seated at a bench, facing the camera

Thanks for volunteering with us, Nora!

Group of alumni seated at front of room talk to students in an auditorium, with projected screen with text "Alumni Panels"

Alumni volunteers share college tips with high school seniors

Jim McMahon

Jim first learned about Student Leadership Network through a friend from the O’Shea Family Foundation. As a volunteer at our career day series, he shared with students about his early part-time jobs and a pivot into becoming a teacher in his 30s. He encouraged students to think about the differences between a job and a career, and to explore their passions. Thank you Jim for sharing part of your special day with us!

Adult volunteer gestures with hands as he speaks with a group of students around a table. Students are looking at yearbooks while he speaks.

Jim talked about the joys of teaching, and shared yearbooks from the school where he taught for three decades.

Two adults and a student practice talking about career paths in the gymnasium

Volunteers Daria and Jim practiced their career conversations with a TYWLS student.

Adult volunteer sits at head of oval shaped table with students

Jim encouraged students to be open to change and finding their passions at different times in their lives.

Quote graphic with text: "I was thrilled to participate in Cool Careers with my wife Liz on our wedding anniversary. The number of volunteers in general and of women volunteers in particular that came to speak to the students about their career journeys exceeded my expectations."

Allison Tanenbaum

Allison first connected to Student Leadership Network through her employer, Apollo Global Management. She has since hosted students at the office, helped alumni craft their elevator pitches, and volunteered at career days at TYWLS. We are grateful for her dedication to our students!

Quote graphic with text: "I really enjoyed speaking with students. Their curiosity, enthusiasm and interest in career opportunities really shines when you meet in person."

Students and adult volunteers talk with each other while seated around school desks

Allison, seated in center, discusses her career path with students.

Woman in a dark shirt and patterned white blazer smiles to camera

Thank you for volunteering with us, Allison!

Four adults present in front of room while students and alumni are seated at small tables

Allison and fellow volunteers facilitate an elevator pitch exercise for students and alumni.

Students are seated on a long couch inside an office, with two adult volunteers seated in chairs on opposite ends

Apollo Global Management hosts students for an office visit.

Want to get involved?

Volunteer at Cool Careers, Potential Paths at TYWLS Staten Island on May 15, 2024! You’ll be able to network with fellow volunteers over breakfast, then share about your college and career journeys with our middle school students.

Sign up
Other Ways to Get Involved
Three adults hold up colorful graphic cutouts on sticks, posing for photo in front of a company logos backdrop
Volunteer Appreciation Night
Alumni Day at The Lab School of Finance & Technology
Cool Careers at TYWLS Queens

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

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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

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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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