Future Smart Careers: ServiceNow Introduces Students to Roles in the Tech Industry

TYWLS at the Workplace

ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, invited Student Leadership Network to its office for an eye-opening career discovery day. As part of our TYWLS at the Workplace program, high school students from The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of Queens visited ServiceNow’s Hudson Yards office in New York City to learn about different job roles and career paths in the technology sector.

Honest Discussions About Setbacks and Accomplishments

A familiar face greeted the students enthusiastically before the panel discussion. Rob Robinson, who had dedicated over twenty years of his career to college access at Student Leadership Network, is now the Senior Manager of Partner Enablement at ServiceNow. With a computer science degree from New York University and decades of advocating for educational equity, he connected students to ServiceNow to learn about careers at the nexus of AI and business in a proud, full-circle moment. Rob shared how meaningful his own college experience was and the value of having mentors throughout his academic and professional pursuits. He then moderated a panel with employees at ServiceNow who shared perspectives on their journeys with the students.

Four adults are seated on a stage, holding microphones, for a panel discussion

Rob Robinson moderates a panel discussion with Melissa Vasquez, Melanie Welch, and Marley Pavlin

Rob Robinson stands at podium in front of room, addressing the students seated in the audience

Rob Robinson shared about the life-changing role of college and mentorship in his own career.

Employee leads tour of office for students, walking past a wall with live plants

A tour of the office included a wall of live plants and an extensive snack station

Group of about 35 students and adult volunteers pose for a photo, some are holding up peace signs with their hands or waving

Thank you for hosting us, ServiceNow!

Panelists Melissa Vasquez, Melanie Welch, and Marley Pavlin shared about their roles, emphasized the importance of mentorship, and gave examples of times in their lives when things didn’t go as planned. Whether someone did not get into their top choice college or an injury affected their academic performance, each talked about how they found the motivation to try again or made the most of their opportunities. After the panel, additional ServiceNow team members joined students for breakout sessions and led tours of the modern and spacious office.

Connecting STEM Studies with Practical Experiences

While students are increasingly familiar with AI tools for their school assignments, they were excited to see how artificial intelligence shapes real-world careers. The young women brought a keen awareness to the table—they already understand how gender stereotypes can influence who pursues tech careers. A recent study by the American Institutes for Research showed that “by age six, kids already perceive boys to be better than girls at computer science and engineering. Among girls, such beliefs only grow more entrenched over time.” Experiences like the ServiceNow visit are valuable for our students to see themselves in STEM careers, creating a vital bridge between what they’re learning in class and their future professional possibilities.

We are grateful to the entire ServiceNow team for sharing their time and advice with our students!

Adult volunteer and three students are talking with each other while seated at a table

The breakout group format encouraged more conversations about career choices.

Adult volunteer and three students are talking with each other while seated on a couch

Small group discussions continued after the panel.

Group of adults who hosted the program for students pose for a photo

A big thanks to all of the ServiceNow and Student Leadership Network team members who created this memorable experience for the students!

Adult volunteer and four students are talking with each other while seated at a conference table

A tour of the office was followed by breakout groups.

If you’d like to bring the TYWLS at the Workplace program to your company, please contact Matt Chacko at mchacko@studentleadershipnetwork.org.