ESSEX, N.Y., USA, April 18, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- College For Every Student (CFES) announced today a series of initiatives that young professionals are undertaking to help students from low-income backgrounds in 13 New York City schools become college-and-career ready.

The CFES Young Professionals Advisory Board, comprised of 18 members, is leading this effort. Members are also enlisting peers from their professional networks to mentor at K-12 schools, participate in leadership training service activities and provide job shadowing experiences. These endeavors help raise student aspirations and develop grit, teamwork, resilience, leadership and the other Essential Skills that are integral to advancement in college and the 21st-century workplace.

"We’re fortunate that these talented women and men beginning their careers are giving their time and engaging their professional networks to help students move along the college-career pathway,” said Rick Dalton, president and CEO of College For Every Student. "Their personal stories and accomplishments convey the powerful message that commitment to higher education leads to the jobs of tomorrow."

During a recent women’s empowerment seminar at Pelham Preparatory Academy in the Bronx, community leaders and young professionals spoke with students about overcoming adversities in their lives and pursuing their dreams. On Saturday, May 6, young professionals and CFES students from area schools, including Flushing High School in Queens and Marta Valle High School in Manhattan, will gather in Harlem’s Morningside Park to clean up and plant trees. Then, on Saturday, May 13, employees from Goldman Sachs, as part of the company’s Community TeamWorks program, will lead a career day at Richard R. Green School of Teaching in lower Manhattan where they will discuss how to move along the college pathway to the workplace.

"I look forward to sharing my journey to college and how I excelled there,” said Lauren Braswell, advisory board member and vice president at Goldman Sachs. "I’m excited to help CFES students understand how to identify and pursue careers that will best align with their interests.”

The CFES College-and-Career Readiness Program engages students in three core practices — Mentoring, Leadership Through Service, and Pathways to College and Career. CFES has helped 100,000 students since 1991.

"Utilizing our own networks is one of the most powerful aspects of the advisory board,” said Porter Braswell, advisory board member and CEO and co-founder of Jopwell, a career advancement platform for Black, Latino and Native American students and professionals. "We will continue to call on our colleagues to visit NYC schools and help students understand the vital connection between higher education and workplace opportunities.”

The young professionals work in diverse business sectors and fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

"Our focus is to make college a realistic goal for low-income students,” said Justin Chukumba, advisory board member and manager for Capital Markets at AlphaSights, a global knowledge search firm. "We want going to college to be the norm for all youth in America.”

About College For Every Student
College For Every Student (CFES) is a global leader helping K-12 students from low-income rural and urban communities become college and career ready. CFES has helped 100,000 students since 1991, and today supports 25,000 students through partnerships with schools, businesses and colleges in 30 states and Ireland. Follow CFES at www.collegefes.org and on Twitter at @CollegeFES.

Dara Schechter, Director of Communications
College For Every Student
(732) 887-4022
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