The Opportunity Network

As the new academic semester gets in full swing, OppNet is thrilled to cheer on all of this year’s incoming college freshmen as they embark on this exciting new chapter! We too have been right where you are — something we learned is that one great way to build community and practice self-care at college is to stay active. A few ideas include: 🏋️♂️Going to the campus gym 🏀Joining an intramural sport 🤸♀️Taking a dance class 💼Getting an on-campus job or volunteer opportunity We encourage you to consider trying something new that you might not have tried in high school or that your high school didn’t offer: you never know where you might discover a new passion! Stay tuned for more advice and words of encouragement from us to you! #backoncampus #highered #futureleaders #dei

Congratulations to our four OppNet Fellows who were among Macquarie Group's largest ever LEADS cohort! These Fellows spent the summer honing their professional skillsets by working alongside passionate Macquarie mentors on industry research projects and workshops. Thank you to our friends at Macquarie for providing crucial opportunity and support. Read more about the #MacquarieLEADS program below! ⬇

Last week, OppNet Fellows wowed their audience with their final presentations from the summer's Next Step Apprenticeship. In partnership with CodeSpeak Labs, the #NextStepApprenticeship is a program for tech- and media-savvy young people to get hands-on agency experience, working on digital projects for real world clients. With OppNet as the client, these Fellows pitched their visions for a revamped brand and style kit, designing logos, building websites, and creating social media content aimed at boosting OppNet's digital presence. From the originality of their ideas to the sleek professionalism of their pitch deck... let's just say the client was very impressed. 🙌 🎉 Later this summer, we'll share out some of their work across our social channels -- keep your eyes peeled! #brandandstyle #design #coding #CodeSpeakLabs

We are immensely grateful for our partnership with Blue Owl Capital and the dedication of their team to empowering our students. Thank you, Blue Owl, for investing in the leaders of tomorrow!

In a new interview with Authority Magazine, OppNet's President & CEO Lucria Ortiz shares her path from growing up in public housing to a career in law and government and leading an organization dedicated to helping first-generation college students. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/etddXz2B #Leadership #Education #CareerPathways #OppNet

“My family emigrated from Guyana when I was two years old. We didn’t know a lot of people, and OppNet made sure that I was geared with everything I needed in preparation for college and my career.” — Umadai Gayadin, OppNet Alum For more than 20 years, OppNet has been helping first-gen college students of color successfully navigate high school and through college and career. Hear more from OppNet team members, alumni, and volunteers from Deloitte Consulting, BET, Aquiline Capital Partners, Evercore ISI, and Hakluyt & Company. Watch the full video 🎥 https://lnkd.in/eyvR3ccq #education #academics #achievement #networking #mentorship

“It gives you a deeper sense of purpose and, for employees, it gives them a deeper sense of morale.” — Erica Knox, Corporate Communications Coordinator at BET At OppNet, corporate partnerships open doors to a multitude of career options and industries that help our brilliant and diverse young people navigate their futures with confidence and purpose. Hear from our CEO, OppNet alumni, and volunteers like Erica, Orlando Clayton Taylor from Deloitte Consulting, Robert Andrews of Evercore ISI, Jacob Pincus from Aquiline Capital Partners, and Tracy Hampton Fraser of Hakluyt & Company on how OppNet effectively empowers first-generation students and what they have personally gained from the experience. Join us in making a difference and shaping future leaders 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNVDm7ug

Our partnership with Blue Owl Capital continues as OppNet Fellows and students from Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York, STEER for Student Athletes, NJ LEEP, and MESA Charter High School all participated in a Career Immersion Day learning about financial investment. Co-President and Founder of Blue Owl Michael Rees recounted his journey in #entrepreneurship, sharing that “entrepreneurship is a mindset.” Students took away a great deal from his presentation and dynamic career path. OppNet’s signature Speed Networking session was especially impactful, where our students engaged in energetic conversations with Blue Owl employees about investment, #networking, and more. That is how OppNet does corporate partnership: deep meaningful engagement. #SocialCapital for us is a two-way street, where our fellows make as much impact on our partners. #OppNet #FirstGen

OppNet Class of 2030, our newest class of Fellows, began Summer Institute this week! These outstanding 11th graders attended a career exposure trip to our friends at BNY Mellon, where they learned about #globalbanking, #cybersecurity, and #AI. Thank you Jason Carlos Rosado and the BNY Mellon team for hosting us. Jason left our Fellows with a powerful message: “you belong here.” They most certainly do! 🌟

We're thrilled to share this powerful article by OppNet Fellow Shamima Ahmed on community, representation, and self-advocacy. Published in Chalkbeat New York, Shamima's article speaks straight to the heart of OppNet's work to create more opportunities for young people to see themselves represented in every space they can imagine. You can read the piece in its entirety here: https://lnkd.in/euNJuVm7