CommonPod Queens

The CommonPod Queens Podcast is back with our special series "Internships with Impact", working with the Commonpoint Queens ⁠⁠Ladders for Leaders⁠⁠ (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with. This week, we had a conversation with Samama Moontaha, who has been actively engaged with Ladders for Leaders since 2020! Over the last few years, she has gained valuable experience through internships at notable organizations such as the Paley Center for Media, JRT Realty, and most recently, CBRE. While interning at the Paley Center, she seized the opportunity to indulge in her passion for cameras and video editing, particularly during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. At JRT Realty, she successfully combined her creative and technical skills to contribute to the marketing efforts of the firm. In her latest role with CBRE, Samama focused more on leveraging her technical expertise and applying the skills acquired through her coursework to real-world situations. Tune in as Samama shares how her journey with Ladders for Leaders has played a pivotal role in shaping both her professional and personal growth.

The CommonPod Queens Podcast is back with our special series "Internships with Impact", working with the Commonpoint Queens ⁠Ladders for Leaders⁠ (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

This week, we spoke with Yusuf Zafar who had the opportunity to work at The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel last summer. His internship helped him broaden his horizons and gain experience in the world of hotel management and allowed him to explore a new interest in photography. Listen along as Yusuf talks about how Ladders for Leaders helped him secure his internship!

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ladders for Leaders program was cancelled in 2020, leaving over 500 NYC students without a summer internship. Through a generous donation from one of our employer partners, Cord Meyer Development, we were able to place 12 students in subsidized internships. This week, we spoke with Brooke Harris, another one of our Ladders for Leaders veterans who was one of the Cord Meyer funded students. With this donation, Brooke had the opportunity to intern with Urban Green Council during the summer of 2020. Prior to this, she interned with the ABM Agency in 2019 through the program. Both internships helped her realize she wanted to enter the marketing field. Listen along as Brooke discusses how her experience with Ladders for Leaders helped her secure a marketing internship this summer with major cosmetics company, L'Oreal!

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

In 2019, Tymira Holman participated in her second internship with Ladders for Leaders at the law firm, Goldfarb & Fleece LLP. By the end of her summer with the firm, they offered Tymira a full time position as a law clerk. Tymira was the FIRST intern to be hired full time at the firm! Since then, she has been elevated to a paralegal position and is applying to grad school for Fall 2021. Her goal is to become a lawyer at the firm upon graduation. Listen along to hear more about Tymira's amazing success story with the Ladders for Leaders program.

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ladders for Leaders program was cancelled in 2020. This left many New York City youth without a summer internship experience. Through a generous donation from one of our employer partners, Cord Meyer Development, we were able to place 12 students in subsidized internships. This week, we spoke with Jeremy Espinoza, one of our Ladders for Leaders veterans who was one of the Cord Meyer funded students. With this donation, Jeremy had the opportunity to intern with the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) during the summer of 2020. Listen along as Jeremy talks about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and how Ladders prepared him for his first internship with BlackRock, Inc. in 2019.

The 2021 Ladders for Leaders application is now open - you can apply here until February 28. For more information, please email L4L@commonpointqueens.org.

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

In this episode, we sat down (virtually!) with one of our veteran participants, Noreen Mohsin. Currently, Noreen is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania and is majoring in finance. She was a Ladders participant in high school, landing an internship at Deloitte after her junior year and an internship at the Bank of America after her senior year. Once she graduates from UPenn in the spring, she will begin a full time position at Blackstone as a Private Equity Analyst. Her experience shows that internships are not just for college students but available to high school students too! You are never too young to begin exploring different career opportunities through professional internships. Listen along to hear more about Noreen's experience and the benefits that Ladders for Leaders provides to both participants and employers.

The 2021 Ladders for Leaders application is now open - you can apply here until February 28. For more information, please email L4L@commonpointqueens.org.

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

For the third episode, we interviewed one of our former participants, Leticia Antwi. Throughout her time with Ladders for Leaders, Leticia has interned at a law firm, a local newspaper, the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner and finally, at Queens Hospital! Prior to joining the Ladders for Leaders program, Leticia initially thought she wanted to become a lawyer. Her internship experiences allowed her to explore different careers which ultimately made her realize she wanted to join the medical field someday. Leticia just graduated from CUNY Hunter College with her Bachelor's in Human Biology and Sociology. She is currently applying to graduate school to get her masters in public health. Listen along to learn more about Leticia's experience with Ladders for Leaders!

The 2021 Ladders for Leaders application is now open - you can apply here until February 28. For more information, please email L4L@commonpointqueens.org.

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with.

For the second episode of Internships with Impact, we interviewed Zakia Abraham. Zakia is currently a part-time job placement assistant with the Ladders for Leaders team and works for Amalgamated Bank in their compliance department. Prior to joining our team, Zakia participated in the program twice! Her first internship placement was at the law office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and her second placement was at Amalgamated Bank, where she has continued to work since 2019. A self-motivated individual, Zakia's short term post graduate plan is to work full time while receiving her MBA. Once she has completed graduate school, her long term goal is to attend law school and become a corporate attorney. 

Listen along as we discuss how important it is to explore various career opportunities through different internships, to take risks and to pay it forward.

The CommonPod Queens Podcast has a Special Series, working with the Commonpoint Queens Ladders for Leaders (L4L) youth employment program! Throughout the Internships with Impact Podcast, we will be discussing the experiences of the ambitious students who participated in our program and the amazing employers we have partnered with. 

For the first episode of Internships with Impact, we interviewed one of our alumni participants, Yaakov Spraragen. Yaakov is currently a senior at Baruch College and will be receiving his MBA in Israel post-graduation.  As an aspiring international business communications professional, Yaakov discusses his first professional internship, how the L4L team helped find the perfect fit for him, and how this lead to life changing  professional and personal development.  

Listen to hear more about his positive experience with Ladders for Leaders at Commonpoint Queens!

With a Fitness Center and Indoor Pool in Forest Hills, youth sports and gymnastics programs in Forest Hills and Little Neck for children as young as 6-months up to teenage years in multiple locations, and group exercise classes for all ages - both virtual and in person - Commonpoint Queens Health and Wellness programs offers something for everyone.

For episode five of the CommonPod Queens Podcast, we were joined by Adam Ostroff, Senior Director of Health and Wellness programs, to discuss the importance of Health and Wellness during the pandemic, how we've engaged over 20,000 participants virtually, safely returning to in-person programs, and what you can do to stay healthy during these challenging times. 

For more information on Commonpoint Queens' Health and Wellness programs, you can click here, call 718-268-5011 ext. 500, or email Adam directly at AOstroff@commonpointqueens.org.

- If you're voting absentee, mail it back ASAP (with 2 stamps) or drop it off at any early voting site or the Board of Elections. You can track your absentee ballot at nycabsentee.com/tracking.

 - You can still vote in person if you've requested an absentee ballot.

 - Early voting has begun and runs through November 1! You early voting site may not be the same as your Election Day site. Find your polling site at findmypollsite.vote.nyc. Hours vary each day. 

 - If you're voting in person and have received an Election Day FastPass in the mail, bring it with you to speed up the voting process. If you have not received it, make sure you know what your Election District is. You do not need to bring an ID unless you did not include the last 4 digits of your Social Security number on your voter registration form or a first time voter. Social distancing will be enforced and voters will receive their own wipes and pens.

More information about the organizations Andy mentions, Pizza to the Polls and The People's Bodega, is available here. 

Make sure to research every race on your ballot and make a plan to vote! If you have questions, call 1-866-VOTE-NYC.

For more information on The Hub, you can click here, call 718-268-5057, or email Brynn directly at BMcCormick@commonpointqueens.org.