Education Nonprofit Raises Over $1.7 Million to Support National Mission — NAF Students Network with Business Professionals from America’s Top Companies At the Mandarin Oriental in New York City
June 13, 2016 (New York, NY) – NAF, a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure that high school students are college, career, and future ready, held their annual benefit on June 1st at 6:30 p.m. at New York’s Mandarin Oriental. The evening of mixing and mingling brought together students, alumni, educators, and business professionals from America’s top companies to celebrate NAF’s work in the education space, and raised over $1.7 million. These funds will go towards supporting and sustaining NAF’s mission nationally, and contributions will aid in providing programming, training, and materials for NAF teachers, directors, and students throughout the country.
Students from 12 NAF academies across the country had the unique opportunity to present their team projects to business professionals from America’s top companies, such as KPMG, Verizon, Lenovo, and Moody’s Corporation, and explained how they have used their NAF academy experience to prepare for college and careers. Demonstrating their knowledge as it relates to a project, these future trailblazers connected to their chosen academy theme and reflected on how project-based learning experiences and internships have paved the way for their future aspirations. Ample time was provided for networking.
NAF President, JD Hoye, said, “It is such a special experience to come together each year, to not only honor the business leaders who are making such a difference in the lives of our students, but to provide a forum for significant face-to-face time. We would like to thank all of our guests for coming to meet our talented young people who represent the talent that our country needs, and look forward to the beginning of some fruitful relationships — as we all continue to work together toward the brightest future.”
The event honored EMC and its CEO, Joseph M. Tucci, who serves on the NAF Board of Directors.
NAF student speaker and junior at Pathways Academy of Information Technology in East Hartford, Connecticut, Tiyah Thompson, attended the NAF Benefit for the third year in a row and addressed the audience about how her NAF experience helped her to defy the odds as well as pave the way for future success.
“I believe that each one of us has a destiny, and for me, it is being a student at the Pathways Academy of Information Technology. My NAF Academy pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me opportunities I would never have known,” said Ms. Thompson.
The Honorary Chair of the event was Sanford I. Weill, former Chairman of Citigroup Inc. and Founder and Chairman of NAF. Benefit Co-Chairs included Ursula M. Burns, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the Xerox Corporation; Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of American Express; Lynne Doughtie, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of KPMG; John Hinshaw, Executive Vice President & Chief Customer Officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Eugene A. Ludwig, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Promontory Financial Group, LLC; Jennifer Morgan, President of SAP North America; Marc C. Reed, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer of Verizon; and Ronald A. Williams, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of RW2 Enterprises, LLC.
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About NAF:
NAF is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career, and future ready. NAF’s educational design ignites students’ passion for learning and gives businesses the opportunity to shape America’s future workforce by transforming the learning environment to include STEM infused industry-specific curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships. Since 1982, NAF has been partnering with existing high schools in high-need communities to enhance school systems at a low cost by implementing NAF academies – small learning communities within traditional high schools. NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2015-16 school year nearly 89,000 students attended 716 NAF academies across 36 states, including DC and the US Virgin Islands. In 2015, NAF academies reported 98% of seniors graduated with 92% of graduates planning to go to college.