Student Leadership Network marks 30 years with Nov. 4 (Em)Power Breakfast

Student Leadership Network will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Nov. 4 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, using the event to highlight three decades of college access and girls’+ education programs. The nonprofit says it has reached more than 100,000 young people and will bring alumni, students and supporters together for the milestone breakfast.

Why it matters: - Student Leadership Network says its programs have reached more than 100,000 young people over 30 years. - The nonprofit's work focuses on college access and girls’+ education for students from underserved communities. - The organization says graduates of partner high schools enroll in college at a rate 29% higher than their peers nationwide.

What happened: - Student Leadership Network will host its (Em)Power Breakfast on Nov. 4, 2026, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. - The event will mark the organization's 30th anniversary. - Emmy Award-winning television journalist Deborah Roberts will return to emcee the breakfast. - Middle and high school students from partner schools will introduce distinguished alumni and hear how Student Leadership Network shaped their paths.

The details: - Yolonda Marshall, CEO of Student Leadership Network, called the breakfast a milestone celebration of 30 years of work and the power of education. - Tyra Riedemonn, a director of college counseling at Student Leadership Network, and Fernanda Paz, a college student at Haverford College, will reflect on how Young Women’s Leadership Schools shaped their journeys. - Philip Osei, an alumnus of a CollegeBound Initiative partner school, will discuss how college counseling and career exposure helped prepare him for a real estate career 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 supported her interest in STEM and her path to the University of Pennsylvania. - The event will include a short film about the award-winning robotics team from The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria. - Student Leadership Network launched The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem in 1996. - Founder and Board President Ann Tisch envisioned a rigorous, nurturing public education for girls regardless of zip code. - The first school led to five additional TYWLS schools across New York City’s five boroughs. - Student Leadership Network later expanded into a national network of Young Women’s Leadership affiliate schools. - The CollegeBound Initiative places dedicated college counselors in public schools to help students with applications, financial aid, enrollment and the transition to higher education. - The Young Women’s Leadership model is currently being implemented at 25 schools nationwide. - The CollegeBound Initiative is currently being implemented at 42 co-ed and girls’+ schools nationwide. - The event is supported by The Estée Lauder Companies, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Fredda Cassell and Jim Maher, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. - Tickets and tables are available at the event page.

Between the lines: - The anniversary event is designed to connect current students with alumni outcomes, turning the breakfast into both a fundraiser and a proof point for the organization's model. - The mix of speakers points to two core themes: access to college and long-term leadership development for girls and young people from under-resourced schools. - The organization's growth from one school in East Harlem to a national footprint suggests the model has scaled beyond New York City.

What's next: - Student Leadership Network will use the Nov. 4 breakfast to spotlight its next phase of fundraising and program support. - The nonprofit will continue operating its girls’+ education and college access programs in schools nationwide.

The bottom line: - Student Leadership Network is using its 30th anniversary to highlight measurable college access outcomes and the alumni network built by its school-based programs.