NAF Honored and Celebrated Chairman and Founder, Sandy Weill’s 90th Birthday, at 19th Annual Benefit
On Tuesday, May 16th, NAF held its 19th annual Benefit at the Mandarin Oriental, New York and had a lot to celebrate! This year, we were proud to honor our Chairman and Founder, Sanford “Sandy” I. Weill and spotlight his 90th birthday. Mr. Weill is Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup and CEO of Casa Rosa Ventures.
NAF Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Dughi, took the stage and said, “I know the entire NAF network joins me in wishing Mr. Weill a very Happy Birthday! We are thrilled to celebrate and honor him for all that he has done for NAF, first ignited by his original vision more than 40 years ago. We all thank him for his tireless efforts, contributions, and passion for making our schools, businesses, and communities better places, and for allowing the next generation to prepare to lead and Be Future Ready. Cheers to you, Sandy!”
The Benefit was a celebration of over 40 years of transforming the lives of students and provided an opportunity for supporters to meet the outstanding students and alumni at the heart of NAF’s mission. The evening offered opportunities to make connections and to learn about both the student and alumni experience. This annual signature event highlighted the tremendous collaboration between industry and education that drives NAF’s innovative programming and improves outcomes for over 112,000 students annually.
Nearly $2 million was raised in support of NAF’s mission to make high school students’ college, career, and future ready. In addition, we were delighted to announce a new, $1.5 million partnership with The Fleischer Scholars Foundation.
Long a proponent of education, Mr. Weill instituted a joint program with the New York City Board of Education in 1980 that created the first NAF Academy of Finance — preparing high school students for careers in financial services. He has served as Founder and Chairman of NAF ever since, and that one finance academy at a high school in Brooklyn has grown to include hundreds of academies across the country focusing on additional industries, such as hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences; and supports programs of study that are aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework. Over half a million students have been positively impacted over the last 40 years and credit their NAF academy experiences as preparing them to be college, career, and future ready.
“I have long believed that education is the key. I am proud that this organization has supported over a half a million students since its inception in 1980. We still have work to do to create a strong, diverse economy alongside a meaningful education for all students,” said Sandy Weill, NAF Chairman and Founder.
NAF high school students shined brightly at the Benefit, as students from six NAF academies across the country presented their work-based learning projects to representatives from America’s top companies and demonstrated how they have used their classroom and real-world experiences to prepare for college and careers. They included:
Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men, Academy of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Detroit, MI
Project: Douglass Flight Club: Drones in the D: Students learn about major features of drone hardware, as well as the local and global infrastructure that supports drone activities. Software and coding round out the experience, as students program their drones to perform tasks. As a culminating challenge, students apply lessons learned to showcase their piloting, programming, troubleshooting, and teamwork skills.
Harmony Magnet Academy of Engineering & Granite Hills High School, Academy of Information Technology
Porterville, CA
Project: Animatronic SPARK-E and Songbird Internships: Students interned at the Animakerspace Lab in Porterville, designing, creating, and programming a life-sized animatronic songbird. Student interns also assisted 6th grade students during a summer camp, where the interns assisted and walked the young students through the design phases of an animatronic show, using a 10-functioning part animatronic figurine.
Jennings Senior High School, Academy of Health Sciences
Jennings, MO
Project: IT’S AN EMERGENCY: A Citizen’s Access to Healthcare: Being unable to access emergency healthcare efficiently can be life or death. Students researched and analyzed the healthcare industry and access to care in St. Louis, to identify potential problems, and proposed solutions on how to make quality healthcare more accessible for St. Louis citizens.
Lely High School, Academy of Finance
Naples, FL
Project: High School Entrepreneurship: Students invented a new and unique way to store small items within a hairbrush, to ensure belongings are safe during athletic practices, traveling, amusement rides, etc. Students are currently working on creating a business and bringing the product to market.
Monarch High School, Academy of Hospitality of Hospitality & Tourism
Coconut Creek, FL
Project: Business Solutions Project: Marketing A Hospitality Business: Students utilized a project management process to help promote Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, a new business in the local community which opened on campus, by hosting a fundraiser, giving out samples, distributing coupons, and developing a commercial.
Scotlandville Magnet High School, Academy of Engineering
Baton Rouge, LA
Project: Engineering Drone Zone: Students learn about the complexities of drone engineering and piloting, by studying the mechanical composure of drones and completing their project with a flight demonstration.
Other special highlights of the evening included remarks from NAF student speaker, Ariana Peña Ramirez, a senior in the Academy of Finance at the Business of Sports School (BOSS) in New York City and NAF Alumna, Jacqueline Burgos, Academy of Finance, Class of 2004.
Ariana shared how she was determined to find her own voice and despite the challenges of COVID and having to take some time to learn remotely at the very start of her high school career, she enrolled in NAF and hit the ground running.
“Being a part of the NAF academy really opened my eyes to new opportunities and helped me with time management, financial literacy, problem-solving, and better decision making – which really has come in handy, balancing a part-time job, prioritizing my schoolwork and playing soccer – it’s not easy,” she stated.
Jacqueline also reflected on her NAF journey and discussed her time interning at Citigroup, during high school, and meeting Mr. Weill for the first time. She offered her secrets to success and how she still considers him to be a mentor, to this day.
“I remember introducing myself that morning and sharing my admiration. He took my wide-eyed enthusiasm with grace and said, ‘You can do better than I have — you started on your journey earlier than I did,” she expressed.
This incredible night of celebration and recognition was an important reminder that after 40+ years of proven outcomes, we know that this works, and we must do more of it! NAF is breaking down barriers, fueling dreams, and ensuring that no talent goes untapped. NAF is not just changing education; we are changing lives. Together we can all be part of this incredible legacy.
Click here to view photos from the Benefit.
