Network Leaders

Collaboration in College Access: CollegeBound Initiative Team Shines at NYSACAC Coming Together and Annual Conferences

Student Leadership Network’s team members were ready to share their expertise and inspire others with best practices at this year’s New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC) Conference! In addition to investing in professional development for our program staff across the network, our CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) team led four workshops at the NYSACAC Coming Together and Annual Conferences hosted at Hartwick College, covering a range of topics in the college access field. With ongoing upheaval in national education funding and policies, sharing successful college access strategies with peers in the education sector is increasingly critical. Student Leadership is immensely proud of our CBI team and their thoughtful and well-received presentations.

We were also thrilled to celebrate Maria Jose Lascarro, who was honored with the NYSACAC Distinguished Service Award: Community Based Organization, which recognizes an individual employed at a community based organization (CBO) for their exceptional service to the profession!

NYSACAC Distinguished Service Award

Five women stand in front of a red curtain, each holding a black plaque award and smiling at the camera. — *Maria Jose Lascarro, on far left, with the Distinguished Service Award: CBO*

The conference kicked off on a celebratory note, with an awards ceremony to acknowledge the impact of leaders in the college access space. Maria Jose Lascarro, Director of College Counseling at Buffalo’s Riverside Academy, was honored with the NYSACAC Distinguished Service Award: CBO.

In nearly three years with Student Leadership Network, Maria has expanded the college-going culture at Riverside, improving financial aid completion rates, college application numbers, and, equally important, building trust among students, teachers, and families. She supports her students in reaching their college and career goals with an intentional and inclusive approach to counseling. She also led the planning of the first-ever CollegeBound Summer Institute for rising seniors in Buffalo last year, and supported district-wide events in Buffalo and in Miami more recently.

The achievement also marks the third consecutive year that a Student Leadership Network employee has been recognized with this prestigious award, following Rob Robinson in 2024 and Jon Roure in 2023. Congratulations, Maria, and thank you for your commitment to our students and families!

Sharing Student Leadership Network’s Expertise

This year, members of the CollegeBound Initiative team hosted four conference sessions. Amidst a packed schedule of wrapping up College Decision Days at their respective schools and preparing for graduations, the team made time to contribute to the exchange of knowledge in service of our students and peers.

Unlocking Early Decision: Effective Approaches to QuestBridge and Posse

Our CBI team members shared strategies for securing prestigious college scholarship opportunities through early exposure, targeted college trips, and tailored preparation and support of students and teachers involved in the process.

Two presenters stand at the front of a classroom, giving a presentation with a slide showing statistics about college access to an audience seated at desks.

Hilary Hernandez and Angelique Figueroa’s presentation

college rep and students talk with each other at small roundtable

High school juniors speak with QuestBridge and Posse partner colleges at our Distinguished Scholarships roundtable event

A group of students stands on the steps outside a building with a “Lafayette Field Hockey 2024 Patriot League Champions” banner, proudly displaying maroon Lafayette tote bags and a SUNY McConney EOP award.

Students visit Lafayette College as part of a Posse Partner Colleges tour

Presented by:
Angelique Figueroa, Associate Director of TYWLS Initiatives
Hilary Hernandez, Director of College Counseling

Celebration By Design: Crafting Events that Ignite College and Career Excitement

Our New York City and Buffalo team members share how schools’ college-going cultures can shift and expand through celebrations of milestones along the high school journey that ignite school-wide excitement and commitment.

Three people stand in front of a presentation screen displaying “Celebration By Design” with a baseball graphic in a conference room.

Alex Hitch, Maria Jose Lascarro, and Ivan Jackson

Three students pose behind a Riverside table with a Future Griff sign; a display screen and gift basket are visible in the background.

Students announce college choices at Riverside Academy’s Decision Day

A group of students sitting in an auditorium cheer and smile, with one student taking a photo on a phone and others clapping and wearing college-themed shirts.

Celebrating milestones such as Decision Day, FAFSA completion, and college application submissions all enhance college-going cultures

Presented by:
Alex Hitch, Associate Director of Data & Model Fidelity
Maria Jose Lascarro, Director of College Counseling
Ivan Jackson, Director of College Counseling

Letter of Recommendations Ecosystem

Our team outlines the process of preparing students to secure letters of recommendation and supporting the adults who write them. The multistep process encompasses time management, student brag sheets and resumes, selecting recommenders, utilizing AI tools effectively, and troubleshooting submission portals.

Three men stand in front of a projected presentation slide titled Crafting Recommendation Letters From Start to Finish in a conference room.

Jeff Petway, Joseph Rosales, and Pedro Cordova

A teacher in a purple shirt assists students wearing green shirts with their work at desks in a classroom. Other students are seated and working in the background.

Joseph Petway guides students through recommendation letter checklists

Five students stand together in a classroom decorated with college banners and posters, one holding a sign that says “Queens College.”.

Pedro Cordova with his college-bound students

Two instructors stand at the front of a classroom presenting to students, with a projected spreadsheet on the whiteboard and students seated at desks facing them.

Joseph Rosales, on left in blue shirt, reviews elements of a college application

Presented by:
Pedro Cordova, Director of College Counseling
Jeff Petway, Director of College Counseling
Joe Rosales, Associate Director, Early College and Career Awareness

Empowered Women Empower Women

NYSACAC Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are communities with shared goals, experiences, or interests with a purpose of supporting specific affinities or challenges they face as professionals or the students they serve. The Women Empowering Women SIG aims to support anyone who identifies as a woman in achieving success in the admissions profession, offering year-round professional development, meetups, and resources that cover topics such as sexism, equal pay, and work-life balance.

Presented by:
Jatae Daly, Director, CollegeBound Initiative,
with co-presenters Lisa Sohmer, Estrella Redondo, and Yohaly Navarrete

Congratulations to everyone on their insightful presentations!