Lora Robertson, current Board Member of Student Sponsor Partners, started her work with our organization 17 years ago. She spoke to us about her involvement and how women can impact the next generation. We are grateful to Lora and those like her who keep the cycle of generosity moving and who lead by example. Get to know our board member by reading some of her answers to questions about mentorship in honor of Women’s History Month!
What encouraged your involvement with SSP and why do you believe in the mission?
When I was working at Goldman Sachs, a close friend and colleague (and SSP Board Member) invited me to an informational session where SSP students spoke about the organization and the effect it had on their lives personally. It was an incredibly moving discussion and I immediately signed up to financially sponsor a student. That one meeting led me to sponsor dozens of students over the years and eventually become an SSP Board Member myself. The transformative power education can have on these students’ lives is why I continue to support SSP. And the effectiveness of each donation is transparent: you know the student you’re helping, you see their report cards, meet their family, etc. It becomes less a “donation” and more of a direct investment in a young person’s future.
What fulfillment have you gained and what does mentorship mean to you?
I’ve been fulfilled knowing that my mentee has a sounding board if she wants to talk about something that’s tricky. It helps to have somebody that’s been through shared experiences.
Who are women you look up to in history or in your own life? How have they shaped how you lead your life?
Whether from experiences competing athletically in college or working in a competitive financial industry, I always appreciated and marveled at women who would take the time to help younger women reach their heights. These women understood that bringing other women along was important and good and perhaps even fun! As I got more senior in my own roles, I hope I took those experiences to heart and did the same for the next generation. And SSP allows me to continue to do that for a cohort of young women who wouldn’t otherwise get some of these opportunities.
Become a sponsor by clicking here to make a gift for the incoming Class of 2027 today. We’re always looking for mentors to support our students as well, so if you or someone you know is interested, click here to learn more about becoming a mentor and get started.
SSP alumna Sakinah Sanders (Class of 1999), updated us on her progress with The HrlmGirl Project, a nonprofit focused on education by means of travel. By offering opportunities for cultural exchange, she hopes to provide travel experiences to students in Harlem and Atlanta.
Sakinah speaks to what drives her mission. “As a young woman who did not have this opportunity, it’s important for me to try to give them this.” Check out our profile on Sakinah and The HrlmGirl Project from last year, when the organization first became incorporated.
Since its founding, the organization and Sakinah have grown. In January 2022, shortly after the forming of The HrlmGirl Project, Sakinah’s mother passed away. Sakinah created The Passport Scholarship in honor of her mother. Veronica Adams, the woman whose legacy lives on through this scholarship, was a pre-kindergarten teacher dedicated to the mission of education. Sakinah says, “In the wake of all that happened with my mom, it made me realize that this is where my passion lies.”
The HrlmGirl Project has successfully run two prom dress giveaway events, one in Harlem and one in Atlanta. In total, they were able to provide their communities with 20 – 25 prom dresses. The organization also hosted a half-day retreat for middle school and high school women including yoga, vision board building, and peer-to-peer mentorship.
In October 2022, The HrlmGirl Project raised money for its largest trip yet: seven young women will travel to Colombia in June 2023. Four of the seven will be using a passport for the first time. Students will have the opportunity to experience travel and culture, as well as give back through community service. They will bring school supplies to young students in Colombia while learning cultural exchange practices. For the prom season of 2023, The HrlmGirl Project set up more prom dress giveaways in Harlem and Atlanta.
Sakinah says the most rewarding part of the work she does is seeing the direct effect that her program has on the young women. The variety of women who approach the organization for help heartens Sakinah as well. She says, “While classroom learning is important, so is the outside world.” The reciprocal nature of giving back is not lost on our alumna. Sakinah says, “I’m still learning as I go along,” and she pushes forth the importance of humility in positions of giving.
The more we discussed giving back, the more abundantly clear it was that there are generations of women before us and those in generations to come that each contribute to the betterment of one another. Sakinah says, “I talk to my daughter about it . . . I’ll often post about [these women] for Black History Month and Women’s History Month.” From mother to daughter, Sakinah shares the rippling change that occurs in communities when we acknowledge our own position and humbly listen to those around us. What keeps her going is, “always wanting to learn more and think out of the box in teaching.”
Daisy Pinero and her sister Carmen Pinero-Benitez graduated through SSP as part of Cathedral High School’s Class of 1999 and Aquinas High School’s Class of 2000, respectively. The sisters are now leading successful careers and aim to mentor young women to explore opportunities and consider careers in finance and law.
A director of finance for the Yonkers-based Greyston Foundation, Daisy began asking herself, “how can I pay it forward?” She found the answer in teaching accounting and personal finance, understanding the need for students and families to “manage debt, build a budget and stick to it.”
She previously taught a course to high school students and saw the impact and importance and partnered up with SSP to launch a series for its students and families.
The first event in the Financial Literacy Series took place on February 15 and focused on personal budgeting. Daisy kicked off the session by highlighting the benefits of financial planning: control, reaching financial goals, and financial freedom. The session included budgeting and planning, emphasizing the importance of saving, and helpful notes such as: “If you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail” and “Money in should always equal money out.” Daisy even had SSP students and families run through examples of needs versus wants to practice the theory she presented.
Daisy was a Cohen fellow at Columbia University and became certified in teaching accounting and personal finance, saying, “. . . the only way to get families out of that poverty cycle is to teach them the tools they need to build wealth rather than to basically live in debt . . . that seems to be the cycle that a lot of our communities are stuck in . . .” Down the line, Daisy hopes that legislation changes surrounding financial literacy, making it a requirement for high school graduation.
She is excited to continue working with SSP saying, “it is perfect to work with the organization that actually helped me.” We’re proud of our alumnae, how they pay it forward, and how their kindness ripples across New York City communities.
Sponsorship and mentorship are the backbone of the Student Sponsor Partners model. Mcjefferies, a junior at Mount St. Michael Academy, spoke with us about his relationship with his SSP sponsor and mentor Mike Brandmeyer who also supports four of his peers. Because of Mike’s sponsorship, they’re attending Mount St. Michael Academy, and they have his guidance as their mentor. They recently all went bowling as a group to reconnect over a fun activity.
Mcjefferies’ first impression of Mike is that, “he was a really cool guy.” He has introduced his students to the financial industry and has been talking with them about colleges and the admissions process. Mcjefferies says that his guidance through the college application process is something he particularly appreciates about his mentorship and that his dream school is Mike’s alma mater – Columbia University – where he hopes to study computer science.
The five students from Mount St. Michael Academy who call Mike their sponsor and mentor often meet all together. Mcjefferies points out that although they meet as a group, Mike still “takes time to speak with us and asks us how our day was.” He also notes that because there are five Mount St. Michael Academy students with the same sponsor and mentor, there is a sense of community built around them with Mike, their high school, and SSP.
To support the next class of students and create opportunities like this, please consider becoming a sponsor. 100% of sponsorship dollars go toward a student’s tuition. This donation goes a long way to providing students with a college-preparatory education and a sense of community to help them reach their highest potential.
Become a sponsor by making a gift for the incoming Class of 2027 today.
Before COVID and its impact on social gatherings, SSP’s Leadership Council held an annual event and auction to fundraise for and encourage new members to join our community. On Wednesday, October 19, we were thrilled to host the Fall Back Reunion and restore this SSP tradition. The event raised $102,000 and counting, which will go toward our life-changing education and mentorship programs. We are so appreciative of those who attended and for the Leadership Council members who made the event possible! We’re happy to share photos from the special evening here.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to our event sponsors (highlighted below) and to Trisha and Patrick Duval, incredible supporters of SSP who generously donated their outdoor space for the special night. We had the privilege of hearing the personal stories of Leadership Council member, SSP alumnus, and supporter Nickolas Sophinos (Class of 1996) and current SSP scholar Ishmael (Class of 2023). They both represent what SSP can accomplish — what your support makes possible.
Speeches in Gratitude
Nickolas Sophinos and his family have been supporting SSP for over 20 years. At the event, Nickolas shared his experience growing up with the opportunity that SSP provided him. He spoke openly about the struggles he faced before entering the program and how his mentor and sponsor, who he still works with to this day, helped shape his future.
“Because of SSP, I am now able to give back and support my family in ways I couldn’t have envisioned as a child. You can help kids dream big and have access to opportunities we sometimes take for granted.”
-Nickolas Sophinos, SSP Alumnus, Leadership Council, Mentor and Sponsor
Nickolas concluded his speech and handed the microphone to one of several students he has sponsored over the years. Ishmael, a senior at Cardinal Hayes High School, shared his hopes to study electrical engineering in college and enter the tech industry post-graduation. He described his life prior to being a part of the SSP community and his gratitude for the program, his family, and the opportunities SSP has provided him.
“Before SSP, I was a middle schooler who was not performing to the best of his abilities,” he said. “I had low grades. I was shy. I didn’t know where I would end up as I was rejected from every selective public high school I applied to. But SSP saw something within me and had provided me with a new path and newfound hope. If it were not for this one opportunity, I could not imagine where I would be today.”
“My family has always been supportive of my willingness to pursue an education and my willingness to work hard to accomplish my goals, and for that, I am incredibly grateful. SSP has made such a difference for me and for many of my peers. You have made that difference possible, so thank you”
-Ishmael, SSP Scholar, Cardinal Hayes Class of 2023
Our Sponsors
Summa Cum Laude Sponsor
Nickolas Sophinos
Magna Cum Laude Sponsors
Larissa and Doug Anderson
Seamus Dunne
Renee and Carl Landegger
Cum Laude Sponsors
Debra De Jesus-Vizzi
Amelia Garnett and Tyler Drayton
Flores-Lerner Household
Timothy Huestis
Michael Kaicher
Alfred McKeon
St. John’s University student and Peter M. Flanigan Scholar Marlin is studying abroad, and she is now in Rome! Here’s the latest about her journey.
What has been the most difficult part in adjusting to this program? How are you overcoming these obstacles?
Marlin: The most difficult aspect of adjusting to this program for me has been being away from my family for so long. I commuted for the majority of my two years of college, and when I did try to dorm, I ended up moving back home. As a result, being away from home for so long is completely foreign to me. When I’m homesick, it’s difficult to enjoy the experience of studying abroad. I’ll miss either the people or the comforts of home that I left behind in these moments. It is certainly not easy to leave behind everything you know and are familiar with, but these moments are only temporary for me. When I’m going through this, I try to remember the beauty of the country/culture I’m in and the friends I get to enjoy it with. Keeping in contact with my family and friends back home over the phone is also beneficial. To be honest, it’s all very bittersweet because, while I appreciate and enjoy this opportunity, I miss a lot of what I left behind.
Who has been helpful in your start to your time abroad? Why?
Marlin: My friends who I came here with were extremely helpful during my first week abroad. It made it so that not everything was completely new because I saw familiar faces always. It was also important for me to be able to relate to others who were going through similar experiences. Having them around made the experience less lonely, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. However, I believe it can be just as rewarding to study abroad on your own and make new friends while there. I, myself, have made new friends during my time here, which I’m grateful for. Going away for so long can make you feel alone, but if you rely on your support system, it can help make the experience much better.
What has been the best part of studying at this institution/in these countries?
Marlin: The best part of studying at St. John’s has been the opportunity to study in not only one country for a semester but three. Even now, it still shocks me that after I depart from Rome in two weeks, I have another country to study in. Paris was the first location I studied in, and when I got there, I was awestruck by how beautiful the city is and all the new things I was witnessing. I think what I truly appreciated about Paris was the fact that it was a big bustling city like New York City which made the transition less difficult. I also enjoyed the fashion and how dressed up everyone would be to go out anywhere. The food was also great, and I got to try escargot, which I had always wanted to do. It was surprisingly pretty good!
There were certain difficulties to transitioning from Paris to Rome, but I was eventually able to see Rome’s advantages as well. The city’s relationship to history has thus far been Rome’s best feature. I’ve had a great time visiting the ruins and admiring magnificent pieces of artwork from so many years ago. Rome doesn’t feel like a big city in the way that Paris did for me which has pushed me out of my comfort zone. Public transportation isn’t as accessible as it was in Paris which is more difficult but allows me to get a lot of walking in. I was able to travel to Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, and the South of Italy while studying in Rome and Paris. This has been a truly rewarding experience, and I can’t believe it’s not over and that there are still places left for me to visit.
Bob Preti’s work with Student Sponsor Partners began two years ago, when researching mentorship opportunities. In his early teaching career, Bob was witness to the profound positive effects mentors have on students. Being a mentor through SSP was inspired by his early career and by the Black Lives Matter movement. “I didn’t want to lose that feeling. I wanted to find purposeful work to do in the area of equity,” he told us.
Bob is grateful to have received many mentors throughout his life. One specific person did not come to mind when he thought of the guidance he received, but instead, many different people, “a high school teacher here or an aunt or uncle there.” Bob recalled a time when a professor approached him after a lecture he had presented – that relationship ultimately guided Bob into his career in the field of advanced therapies.
Bob said there are times like this, when the spark of human connection ignites passion in common interests, and you cannot help but wonder: “There are these people in your life – why? Why was I there in that moment?” In considering deeply the fortune of these encounters, Bob recognized a desire to create the same opportunities for others. “I want to give that back,” he said. “We all have the same insecurities, same doubts and weakness, but I had opportunity.”
Last year, Bob was an SSP mentor and sponsor to Jake at Cardinal Hayes High School, who is now a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania. Bob spoke about all he has learned from being a mentor to Jake and how he hopes to grow in his new mentorship with Carlo. Experience mentoring has taught Bob the importance of the balancing act – providing advice and providing the conditions to let others make decisions. He said, “when you’re in a leadership position, it’s easy to tell people the right thing to do. You simply don’t take off as a company, or as an individual, if you’re telling everybody what to do.” Going forward, Bob has made it a goal to not put his value judgment on his mentee. “I want to be on his shoulder, I want to be in his ear, but I don’t want to tell him what to do.”
The intention and dedication Bob puts into his role as a mentor is what makes mentorships endure. Bob described Carlo as, “remarkable” and “quick-witted.” He wishes that Carlo gets “a clear sense of who he is and a realistic sense of his capabilities, and that he ends up with a strong belief of those capabilities as well as the courage to pursue them.”
Though we all need guidance, even those of us who are guiding, Bob reminds us how simple it is to be there for another human being. He said, “I want Carlo to feel like I am a person he can call and talk to.” We are thankful for our mentors who show SSP’s values in their work and in their relationships!
On July 13, we hosted a Virtual College and Career Panel with BlackRock. As the start to a meaningful series of college-readiness events with the financial institution, SSP high school upperclassmen and college students heard from employees about their experiences and learned about internship and job opportunities.
Panelists emphasized the diversity of disciplines and opportunities within the firm, and shared their passions in high school and experiences with mentorship and how that impacted their career trajectories.
Terence Velez, OCIO Analyst, discussed his path to choosing a career in finance. He shared his experience of attending a career fair and meeting employees of BlackRock for the first time. These employees encouraged him to make a shift from psychology to finance, and Terence credits their support to the start of this life-transition, stressing the importance of mentors who provide guidance.
“It’s the values and the principles of this firm that brought me here, not so much finance,” said Christina McDonald, Human Resources Rotational Analyst. She attended a career talk which opened her up to careers in human resources. Her ability to learn the practices of this field inspired her to seek similar roles, highlighting how vital events like this are to developing an understanding of career avenues.
Souleymane, SSP alumnus and senior at Stony Brook University, wrote to our team after the event. He said, “It was very informative and helpful to see the perspective from current employees. I feel that I had so much in common with each person who shared their stories, whether it was being an athlete, not having a strong financial background, and not really have a straight career path.”
We look forward to offering additional opportunities like this to our students and alumni through the incredible partnership with BlackRock.
Five Weeks Into My Internship At CoreVest
By: Jorge Sanchez, SSP Class of 2020
I did not expect my internship experience to go by so quickly. There are only about 5 – 6 weeks remaining, and I have learned quite a lot in my short time here. Coming to learn more about real estate, it has garnered my interest, mainly the financial side of it and the amount of money being moved around for specific properties.
Being behind the scenes and seeing the loans distributed, the precautions one takes with each borrower, and the amount of info needed to secure every transaction seemed daunting at first. However, I have become accustomed to this world. It’s such a fascinating side of real estate.
I have found myself learning new programs, formulas, and other financial aspects that pertain to this niche within the industry. This internship has taught me that there is a whole world full of knowledge that experiences like this offer.
My Internship At Willkie Farr & Gallagher
By: Elias Barcacel, SSP Class of 2021
I chose this internship because finishing my first year of undergraduate and receiving the opportunity to work and gain experience from a law firm like Willkie Farr & Gallagher was a no-brainer. Also, being that it was in the city and such a big name, the opportunities at Willkie are endless and being around lawyers and real cases is something that is going to help me in undergraduate and in law school. Through this experience, I hope to learn the day-to-day of lawyers, as well as how to research, read, analyze, and understand real life cases.
Entering Cardinal Hayes High School in the fall, this insightful and inspired student describes what he is most looking forward to in high school. Henry explains his biggest takeaways from middle school, his favorite way to spend time outside of class, his role models, and his hopes for his mentorship.
Check out his thoughts below:
“I remember in the beginning of middle school I learned to be myself. Whenever you want to be like somebody else, you’re ruining yourself because you’re not showing people who you truly are. In 7th grade, my guidance counselor told me that there is always going to be someone there for you, you just need to speak up. Then on my last day of 8th grade, my ELA teacher told me in order to get through life, always remember to make wise choices. I’m going to make sure to use that advice and take it with me throughout life.
In high school, I am excited to play basketball. Ever since I was young, I’ve always been into basketball and, over the years, I got pretty good at it. When I get to high school, I am hoping that I can make the basketball team so I can represent the school.
I’m mostly looking forward to my mentor being like family to me. I want them to be there for me every time that I need them or whenever I need some advice. I want to have a strong relationship for these four years. I would also like my mentor to give me some knowledge or tell me something that they know and I don’t.
Outside of school, I really enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I make enough time for both but I make more for my family because they have been there for me since Day One and whenever I needed them most. If it weren’t for my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am very passionate about God. I’ve always believed in God in every second of my life. God will always have a special place in my heart.
I can’t think of just one person I look up to. The two people that I look up to are my mother and my grandmother. I love these two so much that it’s just unexplainable. They’ve made so many sacrifices in their lives to make sure that there’s food on the table, that I have an education, and more. There’s so much to say it’s impossible to finish and I couldn’t thank these two enough for everything they’ve done for me. I love them so much.”
