MAKING AN IMPACT - NAISHA GARRIS
By TOMMY REYNOLDS
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Naisha Garris, the Administrative Coordinator at John Jay College’s Office of Accessibility Services, is a role model of perseverance and volunteerism. Starting in 1998 as a student, Naisha has come back to her alma mater in the Fall of 2018 in the Office of Accessibility Services. Since the Spring 2019 semester, Naisha has lead John Jay’s involvement with Image Impact. Read more about her impact on students and our Mentoring 4 Impact program.
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A Salute to Image Impact’s 2021 Student Graduates and Volunteers
By Michelle Bisson
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Mentoring 4 Impact 2021 virtual graduation ceremonies for the City University of New York (CUNY) John Jay College of Criminal Justice and CUNY Guttman Community College were held on April 27 and April 29, respectively. Of the 20 student Mentees who attended the program, 17 were awarded scholarships of $250 to further their education. The requirements to earn a scholarship included successfully completing coursework, along with a Mentor recommendation. All students were recognized with certificates of participation. Students engaged in 34 hours of online learning, including resume writing, professional image, interview skills, disability advocacy, LinkedIn, and much more. Attendance at weekly sessions reached 90%, with one student attending 100% of courses, plus make-up sessions!
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FIRST EVER MENTORING 4 IMPACT SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED
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Image Impact has awarded $4,250 to its 2021 scholarships to 17 outstanding City University of New York (CUNY) students who are pursuing their studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Guttman Community College.
Students enrolled in CUNY’s Office of Accessibility Services were selected for the scholarship based on their accomplishments in Image Impact’s career readiness and mentorship online program, Mentoring 4 Impact. Rigorous requirements included successfully completing foundation, core, and elective courses and receiving their Mentor’s letter of recommendation. Student winners will receive $250 to further their education from Image Impact as part of Recognize College Students with Disabilities Month, which is sponsored by Image Impact each May. |
INTERVIEW WITH MARCUS GRIFFITH -
Disability Accommodation Specialist at CUNY Guttman
By tommy reynolds
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We sat with down with Marcus Griffith, Disability Accommodation Specialist at CUNY Guttman to discuss how Image Impact’s Mentoring 4 Impact program has impacted his students and what he sees as it’s greatest success. As 25% of students have some sort of disability, these workshops and one-on-one mentoring provide an interactive format for students to gain personalized advice. Being with students who are in a similar situation helps them feel more comfortable opening up. The success of this year’s program and recent graduation is sure to create a buzz and excitement for next year.
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how to get federal employment
By tommy reynolds
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At the behest of Image Impact International, Craig Weitzel, a seasoned investigator and federal employee, reached out individually to students with disabilities who were interested in pursuing a career in public service. The students were engaging and receptive to his thoughts and advice.
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expansion news!
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We are thrilled to announce that Image Impact has been approved for expansion of our Mentoring 4 Impact Workshop at 3 additional CCNY campuses starting Fall 2021: City College CCNY, York, and City Tech. And, we are launching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice starting in February! The career readiness workshops will be offered to virtually across the multiple campuses and complemented with our personalized one-on-one mentoring. We are excited for the opportunity to impact even more college students with disabilities in the coming years.
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GRANT AWARDED TO IMAGE IMPACT FOR MENTORING 4 IMPACT PROGRAM
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Our gratitude goes to the Focus for Health Foundation for their continuous support. The mission of the Focus for Health Foundation (FFH) is to promote advocacy, education, and research to combat the rise of chronic illness occurring around the world. FFH recently provided Image Impact with another generous $5,000 grant for Mentoring 4 Impact. Mentoring 4 Impact is a two-semester certificate program for college students with disabilities, that helps them develop a plan, make positive career connections, learn from mentors, and build a more resilient future. Huge thanks to our friends at Focus for Health for helping to keep this program going strong!
You can help too - donate today! Please consider donating to Image Impact to positively impact college students with disabilities. |
image impact's 2021 strategic plan
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Over the past several months, the Board has been forming a strategic plan to articulate Image Impact’s long-term vision and to set a framework for how we will achieve our vision. Broadly speaking, our Strategic Plan paints a narrative around our problem space, our theory of change, our programming, and most importantly our measures of success. As we look ahead into 2021, we remain confident in our ability to serve our students, fighting for equal access to employment opportunities for college students with disabilities, and expand our reach to even more students.
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MENTORING 4 IMPACT MOCK INTERVIEW WORKSHOP REVIEW
BY TOMMY REYNOLDS
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Image Impact recently held a Mentoring 4 Impact workshop focused on mock interviews, that provided key practice exercises and tips for improving interview skills. Click below to learn more about the mock interview workshop and specific interviewing tips.
Look for summaries of our future workshops including Networking, LinkedIn, and Internships in the upcoming newsletters. |
IMage Impact Announces mentoring 4 impact scholarship
The ImageImpact.org Mentoring 4 Impact inclusive online career readiness and structured mentoring program empowers college students with disabilities to confidently communicate skills, refine their resumes, project a professional image, gain interview experience, and attain jobs and internships. The program combines online learning, mentoring opportunities, and scholarship support to ensure a comprehensive student experience. The $250 Mentoring 4 Impact Scholarship is awarded to the top ten applicants, per participating campus, who are enrolled in the City University of New York (CUNY) Office of AccessABILITY Services and / or CUNY LEADS (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services) and meet the Mentoring 4 Impact Scholarship’s established requirements.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year is the nation’s 75th observance of NDEAM, which is administered by the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The observance culminates the Department’s commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Out of the 16.6 million undergraduate college students in the United States, 3.3 percent have a disability.
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mentoring 4 impact workshop updates
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Image Impact International held three virtual Mentoring 4 Impact workshops in October at Guttman Community College. Each workshop focused on a specific skill that is vital in obtaining an internship or full-time employment: transferable life skills, personal branding, and the facets of a great resume.
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President’s Message – Values and Volunteers by Pam Judd
Why is Image Impact committed to mentoring college students with disabilities in career readiness? It begins with our values.
- We Champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- We Empower College Students with Disabilities to Become Self-Advocates
- We Foster Professional Growth Opportunities
image impact presentS at the 11Th annual cuny accessibility conference
Image Impact was honored to present Insights from Mentoring College Students with Disabilities at the 11th Annual City University of New York (CUNY) Accessibility virtual Conference on May 28, 2020. To view this not to be missed session, visit: https://www.facebook.com/CATSWeb/videos/709800086450569
IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF COVID-19 AND THE CLOSING OF ALL CUNY/SUNY SCHOOLS, AS OF MARCH 12, 2020 ALL IMAGE IMPACT WORKSHOPS AND IN-PERSON MENTORING WILL BE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME. WE LOOK FORWARD TO RESUMING AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
Disability 4 Impact – Mentoring College Students with Disabilities
Back in December 2019, Pamela Judd presented to Image Impact mentors on professional language and inclusive behavior in everyday interactions with People With Disabilities (PWD). This “Disability 4 Impact” training was aimed at volunteers preparing for one-on-one mentorships as part of our "Mentoring 4 Impact" program with CUNY John Jay and Guttman colleges. While designed for mentors, this training has valuable takeaways for everyone.
Mentoring 4 Impact -The Mentee Perspective
The mission of Image Impact is to provide mentoring and professional job search preparation for college students with disabilities. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, Image Impact regularly holds workshops that give students further exposure to their field of interest. Tangemur Ahmed is one student who has benefited from Image Impact and our "Mentoring 4 Impact" program.
DRESSING 4 IMPACT WORKSHOP
The oft-repeated adage “the more things change, the more they remain the same” can be applied to many situations in life. It is especially prescient to today’s job market, in particular how to best present oneself at a job interview. Key facets of this were recently addressed at Image Impact’s Mentor4Impact workshop led by Sharon Kornstein of Image Design Consulting, held at John Jay College for Criminal Justice and Jacqueline Peros of JMP Branding, held at Guttman College.
GIVING TUESDAY
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Student with disabilities, many of them first generation and Veterans, are enrolling in college at rates higher than ever before. Over 11,000 students with disabilities are currently enrolled at CUNY campuses. Our career readiness program Mentoring4Impact helps college students with disabilities to define their career path and stay focused on a road to employment.
Image Impact is proud to be a non-profit partner of the LEADS program (Linking Employment, Academics, and Disability Services) at the City University of New York. Our goal is to raise at least $1,500 on #GivingTuesday to support the #Mentoring4Impact career readiness training program, including: • Seminars on such key topics to job search success as Developing Your Elevator Pitch and Dressing 4 Impact.4 • Spring 2020 classroom workshops on Federal Resumes, Interviewing Skills, and more! • Individualized mentoring for students to help them stay focused on what they need to do to succeed in their job search or summer internship search · Professional Strengths® Online Assessments and books to strengthen student resumes and prepare them for interviews |
AN INSPIRING JOURNEY
Marisol Rosero-Allen was born into poverty in Panama and after emigrating to Miami in 1983 she joined the US army, where she spent 29 years, as well as earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
CUNY ACCESSIBILITY CONFERENCE: WORKING WITH A DISABILITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Image Impact International’s Board member Charnette Lewis was invited to speak on a panel at the 10th Annual CUNY Accessibility Conference. The annual conference brings together more than 300 professionals, creating a pathway to sharing information and cutting edge ideas throughout CUNY. Attendees interact directly with assistive technology vendors, attend plenary keynote sessions, and review original work by CUNY disability studies scholars. This year’s theme was “Working with a Disability in the Workplace.”
EVERYDAY IMPACT: MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ONE STUDENT AT A TIME
Alejandra Flores reports on how her teacher Efrain Gonzalez, a Spanish and History teacher, made an impact on her high school career in Chicago.