Post by Maggie Pimentel, MPA

Exciting news! Since the spring, I’ve had the privilege of working with Shared Lane, and I’m thrilled to step into my new role as Director of Programs and Partnerships. 😊 🥳 👏🏽 🙏🏽 I’m excited about this role because it allows me to show educators that there are multiple pathways for all students. My work bridges the gap—helping counselors and young people alike see what opportunities are out there and how to access them. Here’s what I’ve been up to so far and what’s ahead: -Co-designing and co-facilitating professional development on digital career exploration tools (Xello & Overgrad) for over 450 educators in just the past few months with my colleague Seema Sabnani and in partnership with the Office of Student Pathways (Joshua Steckel, Kristen Harris, Kimberly Hall, Jon Quintanilla, Simone Mikolich, Robyn German Phillips, Heather Hermansen, + team) -Had the honor of collaborating with Deborah Steinberg and her team to train CUNY College & Career Advising Fellows on career pathway options, deepening their ability to guide students toward meaningful futures. -I will be directing the Workforce Gateway Internship Program, where students connect with workforce partners to gain real hands-on experience and exposure that creates a seamless pipeline for students to enroll in these programs. Some of our partners for this upcoming year include Per Scholas, Building Skills NY, LaGuardia Community College, Kennedy Children's Center, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, Isaac Center, and more! -Co-leading the Expanding Pathways Collaborative with our founder Julian Cohen, to bring together counselors, schools, workforce programs, and community-based organizations to strengthen career-connected learning opportunities, partnerships, and referrals across NYC for young people Grateful to be working with people committed to equitable, student-centered pathways. If you’d like to connect or learn more about our work, let’s chat! Lastly, shout out to everyone who has been part of my incredible career journey and has helped me get to where I am—everything from networking calls to speaking highly of me in rooms I wasn't in! You all know who you are! Thank you, dearly! ❤️