The Opportunity Network

In February, five OppNet Fellows and seven staff members attended ten meetings with New York state legislators as part of a series of Legislative Advocacy Days organized by the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC). As part of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, NYSACAC members are a community of admissions and counseling professionals working together for the common goal of helping students achieve postsecondary success. Our stellar OppNet representatives traveled to Albany to advocate for NYSACAC’s legislative agenda focused on increased access to financial aid, opportunity programs, and as well as food, housing, and mental health support for college students. We’re excited to continue collaborating with our peers to support educational equity!

A huge shoutout to the incredible volunteers who joined us for our 11th-grade Mock Interviews this week! Thanks to your time, expertise, and thoughtful feedback, our Fellows had the chance to practice answering common interview questions, refine their storytelling, and receive real-time guidance — building the confidence and skills they need to shine in future opportunities. Special thanks to Blue Owl Capital for generously hosting us! Your support helps create spaces where our Fellows can grow their professional readiness and put their skills into action. Interested in volunteering with OppNet? Join us for our 12th-grade Speed Networking and Mock Interviews next week! Register here: https://lnkd.in/eGH7XZ5R

#ThrowbackThursday! We kicked off 2025 with an impactful Job Shadow Day with our partners at?Coach?Foundation and Tapestry. OppNet Fellows who have been part of?Coach?Foundation's Dream it Real Program for the last 4 years got to meet mentors in person, get tangible personal and professional advice, and explore a day in the life at the company. In particular, Fellows heard a powerful talk from Tapestry's VP of HR, Carmen Arocho-Blanco, who shared her career journey. Carmen highlighted how “even in the highest levels of leadership, your job is a job of service.” She shared that career paths aren’t always linear and that in fact the twists and turns on our journeys are actually blessings in disguise: “Sometimes learning what you don’t want to do is just as important as learning what you do want to do.” Thank you to Carmen and our partners at Tapestry and the?Coach?Foundation for such an enjoyable and enriching Job Shadow Day! #coachfoundation #careerjourney #jobshadowing #humanresources #HR

OppNet is #hiring! We're looking for highly motivated, service-minded team players to join our dynamic organization and support student?success. Visit?https://lnkd.in/ds-Mw7t?to learn more and apply.

Have you signed up for a March #volunteer event with OppNet yet??Our Fellows are continuing to refine their skills, focusing on honing their interview and networking skills, and we hope you can join us. For our?11th Grade Mock Interview Workshops, volunteers work with our 11th grade Fellows to further develop our students' interview skills. Our team will facilitate rotations and provide a sample interview question for volunteers and students to practice during each round.?Thank you to Blue Owl Capital for hosting these workshops for the OppNet community.? During our signature combination 12th Grade Speed Networking & Mock Interview Workshops,?volunteers work 1:1 or in small groups with students, supporting our 12th grade Fellows in further advancing their networking and interview skills. For each round, OppNet will provide a networking prompt or sample interview question for students to practice with you. We're hoping to pack the room for these dynamic events, so feel free to extend an invitation to any interested friends/coworkers/members of your networks! Sign up to volunteer: https://lnkd.in/emsScFXc https://lnkd.in/eGH7XZ5R

We loved being with our Improvement Lab this morning as we explore how to help students build strong networks. We started by debriefing our empathy activities with students, and we ended with a great exchange of ideas. Shoutout to Building Beats, Tech Kids Unlimited, The Opportunity Network, Inspiring Minds, Henry Street Settlement, and Pockets Change for digging into this important work together.

OppNet staff are experts in their field. Emmanuel Moses, Director of College Guidance and Transition, was quoted in a recent article in THE CITY (newsroom) covering a new enrollment plan unveiled by the The City University of New York Board of Directors. The plan seeks to boost CUNY enrollment by emphasizing continuing education and workforce development programs, increasing its online course offerings, and targeting more New York City-area students who are not enrolled in public schools. Speaking to this plan, Moses highlighted that in order to be successful, it would need to holistically address structural issues that often stand in between potential students and higher education. He said, "If you’re going to retain and support returning students, adult learners, you need to acknowledge the things that are going on really in their life, whether it’s childcare, whether it’s transportation." He advocated that the CUNY administration "expand what, not just college, but what post secondary success looks like." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gnaTkRmd

For our second Career Immersion Day of 2025, OppNet Fellows spent a day with Antin Infrastructure Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments. Learning about deal-making and engaging with Antin’s young professionals were just a few of the highlights of their deep dive into the investment sector as a potential career pathway. Thank you to the amazing team at Antin for embracing our students! #OpportunityUnleashed #CareerExposure #PrivateEquity #Networking

Black history is American history — past, present, and future. This month, we celebrate the achievements, resilience, and contributions of Black leaders who have shaped industries, broken barriers, and paved the way for generations to come. At OppNet, we remain committed to expanding access and opportunity, ensuring that every young person has the support to pursue their ambitions. #BlackHistoryMonth #OpportunityUnleased #OppNetCommunity

Resumes are often the first thing a #hiringmanager looks at when assessing candidates for hire. If your #resume has landed you a job that you love, consider paying it back by volunteering at one of OppNet's Virtual Resume Workshops next week! In a fun, hands-on session, volunteers will work with our 12th grade Fellows to develop and edit their resumes in real time, offering feedback and #advice to help them refine the materials they will use when applying to future internships and jobs. Learn more and sign up here! https://lnkd.in/eWM8SGvv