Long Island Scholars

Excited to share this opportunity from the Women’s Diversity Network, a dynamic organization that builds community through mentorship, educational programming, and collaborative initiatives, creating meaningful opportunities for connection, leadership, and mutual support:

The Youth Justice Leadership Program (YJLP) is a 7-month civic engagement program for students in grades 9–12. It is an action-driven experience where young people build advocacy skills, learn from leaders with lived experience, and work together to select and advance a collective issue campaign. The program centers youth voice, critical thinking, and hands-on action, preparing the next generation of leaders to influence systems, challenge injustice, and create meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.

Through interactive sessions and collaborative learning, students build critical thinking skills, civic awareness, and the confidence to lead change on issues that matter to them.

The program meets twice monthly from October 2026 through May 2027, with virtual sessions held on Wednesdays from 6:00–8:00 PM. Students are expected to actively participate with cameras on during sessions. The program culminates in an in-person Youth Leadership Showcase and Awards Ceremony at the Women’s Diversity Network Annual Summit in May 2027 in Garden City, NY. (Travel stipends may be available for out-of-state students.)

Best part of the job: watching students aim high, work hard, and then start collecting some very exciting yesses. Just a few snippets collected here—it’s tough to keep up as the wins keep pouring in! So proud of these kids and the opportunities they’ve earned—from college and summer program admissions to innovation and entrepreneurship competition wins and beyond…

Happy New Year from my to-do list! 🎉📝

Ringing in 2025 with more essays than champagne, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! 📖💪💡🥳

✨ Just before Thanksgiving, I traveled to Yale University for the annual Assembly & Convocation, joining alumni leaders from across the country for 2 days of conversations about the future of higher education.

As both President of .nyc and a former theater and rhetoric professor of 15+ years, I stand firmly on the side of academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, and expanding access to higher education—especially for first-generation, low-income, and international students who enrich American campuses in immeasurable ways.

I attended plenary sessions with Yale’s president and trustees, best practices workshops, and a powerful conversation with Yale’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education about how campuses are navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. I joined regional leaders for strategy sessions at historic , exploring how educational institutions and alumni can uphold their highest values while adapting to new challenges.

I admire Yale’s willingness to confront its past through initiatives like the Yale and Slavery Research Project and renewed examinations of the University’s relationship with New Haven. These initiatives may be overdue, and there is still much work ahead, but we all grow stronger when we face our shared history directly and commit to doing better.

Staying connected to the universities the students I work with are applying to allows me to take the temperature of campus life and bring back the insights that shape my advising practice. Students succeed when they combine academic excellence with a clear understanding of what colleges are looking for and why.

My mission—and ’ mission—remains the same:

🔹 Empower students from every background
🔹 Champion access, opportunity, & intellectual freedom
🔹 Provide world-class guidance
🔹 Equip young people to thrive at colleges best suited to their goals

Higher education is changing—but with the right support, your student can meet this moment.

Let’s rise together. 💙📚✨

Team lunch! Chinese Thanksgiving in Flushing on Wednesday before the American version tomorrow … 😋🥘🍲🫖🫕🥢🇨🇳🇺🇸😋

Is it the absolute last possible minute to be reviewing newly submitted essays for college applications?

Yes!

Will it all get done somehow and turn out fine, even great?

Also yes!!! ✍🏼👩🏻‍💻😵‍💫💫😀🎉👻🎃

Starts tomorrow! Apply for up to 5 SUNY colleges, either through the SUNY application or the Common Application, for free (no application fee) — through November 3!

Saving money on college apps? Yes, please!

It’s that time of year again!

Volunteering opportunity on the north shore of Long Island this weekend — added bonus: lots of good restaurants, beautiful parks, and nature trails nearby (Welwyn Preserve, Morgan Park, Garvies Point Preserve)!