OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS - Sponsors for Educational Opportunity

spring07newsletter
volume 5 number 1
OPPORTUN ITY KNOCK S
S P O N S O R S F O R E D U C A T I O N A L O P P O R T U N I T Y
Preparing young people of color to lead by example in their families, communities and careers.
2007 ANNUAL
AWARDS DINNER HONORS
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS
SEO provides services
through three major programs:
the SEO Scholars Program,
the Career Program and Alumni
& Philanthropy Programs.
Jamie Dimon and William A. Goodloe
(left to right) William A. Goodloe, Michael Osheowitz, Diego Recalde and Walter K. Booker
“A good friend of mine once told me you should live your
life in three stages – learn, earn, and return. That’s what the
SEO program is really about.”
These words from SEO Founders Award recipient Theodore
V. Wells, Jr. characterize the celebration of professional and
philanthropic excellence at SEO’s Annual Awards Dinner on
April 18, 2007, at The Waldorf-Astoria.
SEO’s friends, alumni and corporate partners from around
the country gathered to honor three people for whom
professional achievements and
philanthropic leadership are
indivisible: Theodore V. Wells, Jr.,
Partner and Co-Chair of the
litigation department at Paul,
Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton &
Garrison LLP; Donald Tang, Vice
Chairman, Bear Stearns & Co.;
and Diego P. Recalde (SEO ’84),
Co-Founder and President of
Concrete Stories, a commercial
real estate firm.
CBS 2’s Cindy Hsu was Emcee
for the fourth year. Chairing
the event was Jamie Dimon,
Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan
Chase. In introducing Mr. Dimon,
William Goodloe, SEO President
Theodore V. Wells, Jr.
and CEO, noted that first quarter 2007 results were released
a few hours before the Awards Dinner, and JPMorgan Chase
reported record profit of $4.8 billion on record revenues of
$19 billion, and profit was up 55%, versus their first quarter
in 2006, far more than analysts’ estimates.
“In 1990 I went to my first SEO recruiting event and it blew
me away,” said Dimon as he addressed the crowd of more
than 650. As dinner chairman, Mr. Dimon led the fundraising
effort for the event and he proudly announced that a record
of $1.3 million was raised, an increase of 30% over the previous
record set for the 2006 SEO Awards Dinner.
SEO Scholars Program senior Brian Clarke gave a poignant
speech about how SEO helped save him from the negative
aspects of his neighborhood. “One day as I walked by the
basketball courts I watched my friends and neighbors standing
at a candlelight vigil for a murdered gang member. I knew
that SEO was a lot better than becoming a part of that life.”
SEO Founder and Chairman Emeritus Michael Osheowitz
said, as he presented the SIRV Alumni Leadership Award to
Diego Recalde, that “if there’s one person in this room that
personifies the SEO creed of giving back to those who come
after you, it’s the soft-spoken, generous Diego Recalde.”
(continued on next page)
ALUMNI
NEWS
INSIDE
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE SEO FAMILY!
Inside you will find two pages of news about the exciting things happening among SEO
alumni, including updates on social events and volunteer opportunities, profiles of alumni on
the move and a wealth of other information to keep you connected and in the know.
Ours is a unique network of remarkable people of color, living across the country and around
the world, making a difference in a vast range of fields. Please keep in touch with us and with
each other. We are here to help you personally and professionally – and to help you give back to
the next generation of deserving students of color.
www.seo-usa.org

SEO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WALTER K. BOOKER ‘81 / Chairman
Group Vice President
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
AMY ELLIS-SIMON ‘93 / Vice Chair
Managing Director
Merrill Lynch
GILBERT ANDREW GARCIA ‘83 / Treasurer
Managing Partner & COO
Davis Hamilton Jackson & Associates, L.P.
CHARLES SHORTER ‘84 / Secretary
Creative Artists Agency
WILLIAM A. GOODLOE*
President & CEO
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
NATALIE AU-YEUNG ‘97
Associate
Merrill Lynch
KENNETH W. AUSTIN ‘87
President
ABFE
MAYBEL MARTE BLACK ‘93
Vice President
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
GLEN CAPELO ‘86
Senior Partner
RBS Greenwich Capital Markets
FLORENT DALENCOURT ‘91
Senior Systems Engineer
Nortel Networks
DAVID J. DAY ‘97
Director of Strategy & Business Development
Merrill Lynch (Asia Pacific) Limited
CARLA HARRIS ‘82
Managing Director
Morgan Stanley
ADAM KARR ‘92
Director
Orbis Investment Management
DIEGO RECALDE ‘84
President
Concrete Stories
JEFFREY SCRUGGS ‘83
Managing Director
UBS Investment Bank
EDUARDO SEDA ‘84
Associate Director
UBS Investment Bank
BEATRICE SIBBLIES ‘89
Principal
B.O.S. Development
JORGE SOLARES-PARKHURST ‘97
Senior Managing Director
Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.
EDWARD TAM ‘91
Partner
Apollo Investment Management
DON TELLOCK ‘91
Partner
Arent Fox
STEPHAN YANG ‘98*
Square Mile Capital Management LLC
Founder and Chairman Emeritus
MICHAEL OSHEOWITZ
*Ex-Officio
SEO CHAIRMAN’S ADVISORY COUNCIL
MARK BIELER
President
Mark Bieler & Associates
LLOYD CAMPBELL
Head of Private Placement Group
Rothschild Inc.
JAMES HADDON
Managing Director
Citigroup Global Markets
MILTON IRVIN
Managing Director
UBS Investment Bank
WILLIAM E. LIGHTEN
Managing Director
Lehman Brothers, Inc.
RAYMOND MCGUIRE
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking
Citigroup
MICHAEL RICCIARDI
Managing Director
Merrill Lynch
SABIN STREETER
Adjunct Professor
Columbia Business School
JOHN O. UTENDAHL
Chairman and CEO
Utendahl Capital Partners
JIDE ZEITLIN
The Keffi Group Ltd.
2007 ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER (continued from cover)
He is an SEO Board member and the Chairman of the
New America Alliance Institute. Mr. Recalde, who, with
his company Concrete Stories, played the leading role
in developing SEO’s permanent home noted,“in classic
SEO fashion, when we finally found a solution to our
space needs, we leveraged it, we created value, but
we also created value for the community. Thus SEO’s
new home truly embodies SEO’s values.”
Asia Society President Vishakha Desai presented Donald
Tang the 2007 Corporate Leadership Award. Born in
Shanghai, his distinctive vantage point as a Chinese
American business leader gives him uncommon insight
into the impact and opportunity of globalization. As a
mentor to the founder of the Urban Entertainment
Institute (UEI), Mr. Tang is driving UEI’s pioneering effort
to teach Mandarin language skills and Chinese culture
to at-risk youth in South Central LA. Invoking Buddhist
teaching, Mr. Tang said, “all happiness comes from the
(left to right) Vishakha Desai, General John Fugh and Donald Tang
desire for others to be happy. All misery comes from the
desire for oneself to be happy. The people in this room
are living proof of this wisdom.”
A highlight of the evening was the announcement
by Board Chairman Walter K. Booker, that The Campaign
for SEO has raised more than $13 million – which includes
a $1 million gift from JPMorgan Chase.
The dinner concluded with a speech by Mr. Wells, who
accepted the Founder’s Award from 2005 Corporate
Leadership Award recipient William M. Lewis, Jr. Mr.Wells,
who was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2006 by The
National Law Journal, specializes in white-collar criminal
defense work and complex civil and corporate litigation,
and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of
Directors of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education
Fund. He advised SEO alumni to “prepare yourselves,
rejoice in the great success of your program, but make
sure you protect the ability to take part in the SEO
program for the people coming up behind you.”
SEO INTERNS TRAINED AT
BARUCH’S SUBOTNICK CENTER
SEO EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD
ROBERT MCCANN
Chairman
Vice Chairman and President
Global Private Client Group
Merrill Lynch
JESSE J. GREENE, JR.
Vice President & Treasurer
IBM
WILLIAM M. LEWIS, JR.
Co-Chairman, Investment Banking
Lazard Ltd.
DINAKAR SINGH ‘88
Chief Executive Officer
TPG-Axon Capital
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND EDITORS
Jon Feldman
Eric Goldsborough
Daree Lewis
Eve Orenstein
Kierstyn Thayer
2 spring07newsletter
Since 2005 Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business has been hosting training for SEO interns in
fixed income markets, equity markets and trading.
At the beginning of each summer, interns attend a three-day training session developed for SEO
by Baruch College professors Bernard Donefer and Richard Holowczak at the Subotnick Financial
Services Center. The Subotnick Center features a state of the art trading floor that offers real time
markets and trading simulations, as well as facilities for classroom instruction.
“The training is preparing our interns to hit the ground running the first day of their internships,”
said SEO Career Program Vice President, Barbara Berliner. “We have seen a significant increase in job
offer rates since we began working with Baruch – and I can say confidently that there is a correlation
to the training program at the Subotnick Center.”
www.seo-usa.org

SCHOLARS PROGRAM
PROFILE:
Luisana Taveras
Luisana Taveras, a senior in the SEO Scholars Program, shared some
of the highlights of her SEO experience with us recently. Luisana feels
that SEO encouraged steady growth during her high school years,
where she focused on preparing for college admission.
Luisana says,“My SEO mentor encouraged me to consider a women’s
college, and after meeting Bryn Mawr alumni who visited SEO, I applied
and was accepted there.” Some of the nation’s best liberal arts colleges
also offered her admission with very generous scholarships, but Bryn
Mawr was her top choice. Bryn Mawr is a highly competitive women’s
college founded in 1885 when many women were denied higher
education opportunities.
Luisana just returned from a campus visit where she marveled at
the beauty of the 135-acre campus designed by landscape architecture
pioneers Olmstead and Vaux, whose masterwork is Central Park. She
will enter Bryn Mawr with a substantial scholarship.
One of the unique features of the SEO Scholars Program is the
opportunity for summer enrichment experiences. After an intensive
application process, Luisana was accepting into the Experiment in
International Living study abroad program last summer, and she
spent five weeks in Thailand, studying, traveling and volunteering.
“The trip to Thailand was very meaningful and enriching. One of the
most wonderful periods of the trip was a ten-day home stay with a
Luisana Taveras (left) inThailand.
family in a rural village. While I was there, I helped reconstruct a
community center, taught elementary school children, and learned
traditional Thai dance, music and cooking.”
To a NYC high school student considering SEO, her advice is clear:
“SEO helped me right from the very beginning, and worked with me
through many challenges along the way. It has been hard work, but
very rewarding. SEO helped me prove to myself that I can achieve my
goals and get into a top college.”
Entering 9th grade
Scholars visit Ellis Island.
SEO SCHOLAR NAMED
NEW YORK TIMES SCHOLAR FOR THE
FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
SEO congratulates Jahmil Eady on winning a
prestigious New York Times Scholarship. She was
one of 20 New York City high school students
selected from among more than 1,400 applicants
to receive a $30,000 scholarship over the next
four years. “Jahmil is a passionate student and a
very gifted writer,” said Scholars Program instructor
Tim Eash. Jahmil’s application to the Scholarship
included an essay about her experiences in
Argentina in Summer 2006, where she spent time
teaching English in an AFS International program, which she applied
for through SEO. Not only is this the fourth consecutive year that an
SEO Scholar has won this award, but this year five Scholars, including
Steve Menendez, Brian Clarke,Trevor Jaikissoon, Patricia Rojas, and Jahmil,
made it to the semi-final round of the process – a first for SEO.
Jahmil will be attending Pomona College in Fall 2007.
BOARD MEMBERS ON THE MOVE
NEW SCHOLARS
RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
BRING RESULTS
In Fall 2006 we began a new approach to broaden the SEO Scholars
recruitment effort by reaching out to students throughout New York City.
SEO presented information sessions at a number of schools citywide.
At some schools SEO staff and Scholars visited every 9th grade English
class to introduce the students to the Scholars Program. At other schools
SEO staff gave school-wide assembly presentations or met with groups
of students, parents or teachers. Some guidance counselors provided SEO
with a list of honor roll students to whom we sent individual information
packets and applications.
This effort increased the applicant pool to 234 students – up from 80
applicants the previous year. This 192% increase has enabled us to select from
a larger number of qualified applicants to choose 9th grade students for the
Scholars Program. We interviewed 130 applicants and accepted 68 students.
“This is the most selective process Scholars has ever had,” said Program
Coordinator, Marc Pongnon.
DAVID J. DAY ‘97 is now a Director of Strategy & Business Development
at Merrill Lynch (Asia Pacific) Limited.
GILBERT ANDREW GARCIA ‘83 earned his CFA and became
Managing Partner & COO at Davis Hamilton Jackson & Associates,
L.P. He was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Houston
Municipal Employees Pension System. Gilbert and his wife DeeDee
welcome Julianna Eva Garcia, who was born on September 8, 2006.
CARLA HARRIS ‘82 performed her second concert at Carnegie Hall’s
Zankel Hall to benefit the St. Charles Borromeo School in Harlem,
NY and Bishop Kenny H.S. in Jacksonville, FL on November 20, 2006.
JORGE SOLARES-PARKHURST ‘97 is now a Senior Managing Director
with Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.
DIEGO RECALDE ‘84 was honored as one of New York’s Finest
Philanthropists at the Association of Fundraising Professionals
National Philanthropy Day in November 2006.
CHUCK SHORTER ‘84 is now with Creative Artists Agency, one of
Hollywood’s top talent and literary agencies.
AMY ELLIS-SIMON ‘93 and CARLA HARRIS ‘82 are featured in the
October 2006 issue of Black Enterprise highlighting the “75 Most
Powerful Blacks on Wall Street.”
DON TELLOCK ‘91 became a Partner at Arent Fox in January 2007.
STEPHEN YANG ‘98 has joined Square Mile Capital Management LLC.,
a real estate investment firm. Stephen and his wife Rebecca are the
proud new parents of Ty Bunyasaranand Yang, born August 5, 2006.
www.seo-usa.org spring07newsletter 3

ALUMNI NEWS
SPOTLIGHT ON
Tiffany Singleton
For Tiffany Singleton (SEO ’01) giving back and getting ahead are
intrinsically linked. What she learned about donor-advised funds
through her involvement in SEO’s SIRV (Saving, Investing and
Returning Value) initiative has helped her succeed in private banking
at JPMorgan. Her experience in finance has brought Tiffany back
to her alma mater, Dillard University, to consult for the Office of
Institutional Advancement during the months before she begins the
MBA program at Harvard Business School in Fall 2007.
“After my internship, I felt indebted to SEO, so I became a Scholars
Program mentor, mentored Career Program interns and became a
firm captain at JPMorgan. I really wanted a long-lasting involvement
and I wanted to learn about wealth management, so when SIRV
came around it sounded like something good,” said Tiffany.
Tiffany was instrumental in launching SIRV’s first Speakers Series
and helped to enlist JPMorgan to host the Speakers Series events.
“Learning about wealth management through SIRV helped me
understand how to work with people who had wealth, and it put me ahead of my peers who did not
know about things like donor-advised funds.”
Not long after Tiffany moved to Houston, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and her beloved
Dillard University. She got to work creating a network of former Dillard student body presidents, like
herself, to develop a strategic plan to help the University recover.
The first phase involved organizing Dillard alumni and their contacts to raise money to help get the
school back on its feet. In the second phase, once the University re-opened, the alumni group rallied
to get Dillard students back to campus – and to convince potential students to apply for admission.
Phase three, currently underway, focuses on bringing services to students, including career development,
recruitment by business schools and access to corporate recruitment – much of which has been slow
to return to New Orleans institutions.
“I’ve only been out of school for five years – I’m not at the point of wealth that you would expect
for someone to start being a major philanthropist. But I do what I can to make an impact. Giving back
early is so important – you can start giving back immediately – and you can do so in many different
ways. SEO taught me that.”
MAKING CHANGE IN YOUR CAREER
On February 1, 2007, SEO alumni in New York gathered
to learn about cutting-edge programs for professionals
interested in making a difference in the public and
nonprofit sectors. Hosted in collaboration with Teach
for America, and sponsored by JPMorgan Investment
Bank, the “Making Change in Your Career” event
featured panelists representing several organizations:
Recy Benjamin Dunn (SEO ’96) from the Broad Residency
in Urban Education, Alexandra Martinez from the
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University,
LEGENDS IN BUSINESS,
LEADERS IN PHILANTHROPY
SEO’s Saving, Investing & Returning Value (SIRV) Initiative is expanding its offerings with the newest series,
“Legends in Business, Leaders in Philanthropy.” These intimate roundtable-style events target more senior
SEO alumni, and each event features a prominent individual who has achieved significant professional
success and been notably involved in philanthropic endeavors. In typical SEO
fashion, alumni are well prepared to ask questions and exchange insights with
attendees and featured hosts.
The most recent session on February 27, 2007, was hosted by Russell L. Carson,
General Partner at Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the country’s
largest private investment firms, which he co-founded. Mr. Carson shared with
alumni his path to success and his approach to philanthropy, including how he
selects the organizations he supports and leads. Mr. Carson currently is Board
Chair of The Endowment for Inner-City Education and Co-Chairs of the Columbia
Business School Board of Overseers. In addition, the Carson Family Charitable
Trust has been a long-time supporter of the SEO Scholars Program and made
a leadership gift to The Campaign for SEO.
The event included a presentation from Michelle Coffey and Darlene Currie of
the Tides Foundation who discussed the process and benefits of establishing
Paymon Rouhanifard of Teach for America, and Tiffany
Woolfolk from National Urban Fellows. The panel was
moderated by SEO alumna Latricia Barksdale (SEO ’03),
currently a Manager of Transitional Funding at Teach
for America.
During the panel, Latricia noted that the transition
from a corporate environment to the nonprofit sector
was not just a lifestyle choice; it was about making
an impact. “If you come up with a good idea, you are
told, ‘Great, go make that happen.’”
Russell L. Carson
a donor-advised fund for charitable giving. SEO has launched a partnership with Tides that is enabling
alumni to enhance their philanthropy by creating donor-advised funds. Participants can also leverage
matching funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for charitable giving to organizations other than SEO.
The philanthropy roundtable series was kicked-off last October by an event hosted by Dr. Henry Jarecki,
a legendary gold and silver metals trader. Dr. Jarecki has also been the driving force behind the Institute
of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund, which helps scholars worldwide who are in danger or
threatened with persecution.
4 spring07newsletter / alumni news
www.seo-usa.org

2007 SIRV SPEAKERS SERIES KICKOFF
SEO and JPMorgan Investment Bank kicked off the 2007
SIRV Speakers Series on March 7, 2007 in New York with “Gaining
On Your Goals: Building a Strategy Around Your Finances &
Philanthropy.” Sponsored by JPMorgan, the series is part of SEO's
SIRV (Saving, Investing & Returning Value) initiative. SIRV brings
together SEO alumni and other professionals of color to learn
about the personal wealth creation strategies that can help
them build greater capacity for philanthropy, and integrates a
discussion of how young professionals can effectively engage
with and impact their communities.
The March 7 panel included Sháka Rasheed, a Vice President
at JPMorgan Asset Management, and Michelle Coffey, Senior
Philanthropic Advisor at the Tides Foundation. Mr. Rasheed
helped attendees gain a more strategic perspective on how to
develop financial goals and what investment vehicles and asset
allocation methods can help them achieve those goals. Ms. Coffey
discussed how to harness your passions and make change in
the world through a variety of philanthropic tools, including
donor-advised funds.The underlying theme of the panel discussion
was “empowerment,” both financial and philanthropic.
The networking reception following the panel gave attendees
a chance to meet representatives from the SEO Scholars
Program and Rising Tide Capital, a Jersey City-based nonprofit
that provides business training and consulting, technical
assistance and access to capital to low and moderate-income
entrepreneurs.
SIRV programming is made possible by funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
(top) SEO College Scholars learn interview techniques
from SEO staff member, Abdulla Mirpur,
as a part of the Winter Retreat.
(right) SEO Alumni and Philanthropy Programs
Director, Daree Lewis, speaks with SEO College Scholars
during a Winter Retreat on January 4, 2007.
SAN FRANCISCO
BAY AREA CHAPTER:
NEW PARTNERSHIP
FOR CHANGE
With giving back on their minds, the SEO San Francisco Bay
Area Alumni Chapter is forging a partnership with Juma
Ventures, a San Francisco-based nonprofit youth development
program that establishes business ventures to help at-risk
youth make successful transitions from high school to
adulthood. Juma Ventures is recognized as an innovative,
effective program and has been profiled in the Stanford
Social Innovation Review, Harvard Business Review, and
other prominent publications.
The relationship was spearheaded by Bay Area Chapter President Kirk Williams
(SEO ’90) and Adriane Gamble (SEO ’03), who are working with Juma’s Executive
Director to develop ways to involve SEO alumni in Juma’s Young Entrepreneurs
Mentor Program. Through this program, economically disadvantaged youth (ages
16-24) in San Francisco will gain entrepreneurial training and experience through
educational workshops on developing micro-enterprises, compete in a business plan
competition, and receive small grants and loans from the City of San Francisco to
launch their idea. In addition, professional volunteers provide supportive relationships
to the youth through mentoring and career exploration.
“The SEO mentors bring tremendous value to the project, and their participation
will help to ensure its ultimate success,” said Juma Ventures Associate Director,
Marc Spencer. “It is rare to see such dedicated and talented mentors. Juma is truly
grateful for this working partnership.”
TUPAC HUNTER (SEO ’94) was
elected as Michigan State Senator
in November 2006, and was
previously a member of Michigan’s
House of Representatives. Senator
Hunter moved from business to
politics as a way to represent and
serve the people of Detroit and his
home state of Michigan.
www.seo-usa.org spring07newsletter / alumni news 5

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:
GCFL
Summer 2006 GCFL interns get hands-on experience at global corporations.
The SEO Career Program’s newest program,
Global Corporate Financial Leadership (GCFL), is
now entering its third summer. Created for young
people of color who are interested in pursuing
careers in corporations, GCFL boasts a 100% offer
rate for the interns placed at its partner companies.
Interns spend their summers in the finance
departments of Fortune 250 companies who are
leaders in their industry – IBM, Xerox, and new
partner EMC Corporation, an information
management and data storage leader. These
corporations are committed to developing a
high-performing, diverse workforce and providing
opportunity for their employees. Interns also take
part in the week-long GCFL Institute that offers
a mini-MBA course, corporate officer roundtables,
panels, networking opportunities, training in formal
dining etiquette, and professional golf lessons – an
invaluable skill for getting ahead in business.
“These companies are global, so there are endless
opportunities to grow and move up,” said GCFL
Program Manager, Jill Hart, and “GCFL interns sit
down with CEOs and CFOs and ask them questions –
most employees don’t ever get to meet with people
at that level.”
WE ARE PROUD TO
ANNOUNCE THAT SEO
SCHOLARS WILL BE
ATTENDING THE
FOLLOWING COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES:
Baruch College of the CUNY
Barnard College
Binghamton University
Bryn Mawr College
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Georgetown University
Hamilton College
Macaulay Honors College
at CUNY
Middlebury College
New York University
Oberlin College
Pomona College
Syracuse University
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
COLLEGE SCHOLAR:
ASAAD ZAMAN
Asaad Zaman wants to make an impact on his classmates at
Hamilton College. Asaad, currently a freshman, c0-founded
the Muslim Students Association at Hamilton and acts as
treasurer. “Since Hamilton is really small, there aren’t very
many Muslims on campus. We just want to make sure that
other students are able to differentiate what is real and
what is not real about Islam.”
Asaad was drawn to Hamilton College because he wanted
to be in a place where he wouldn’t get lost in the shuffle.
“All my professors know me – it’s so easy to approach them,
and you actually get to talk to them at office hours. They
even take the time to call or email you if they need to.” He
also likes that there is no core curriculum at Hamilton so he
can focus on the classes he is most interested in, namely
math, biology, and economics, before he chooses a major.
Asaad, who credits SEO with teaching him the study
skills that are helping him excel in his first year at school,
is taking an active part in the SEO College Scholars program.
He follows College Program Manager Ays Necioglu’s email
announcements about workshops at SEO and internship
opportunities, and contacts her with questions about his
academic progress and campus life.
6 spring07newsletter www.seo-usa.org

COLLEGE SCHOLARS PURSUE THEIR
GOALS WITH INTERNSHIPS
SEO College Scholars are on their way to successful careers, having received
the prestigious internships listed below for Summer 2007. The students
all participated in the SEO Scholars Program in high school and are now
attending selective colleges throughout the country.
Emem Adanga - Mt. Sinai Medical Center
Ariel Ashley-Pastoriza - Pfizer Health Science Division
Lawrence Buckley - Securities Industries Automation Corporation
Andrew Canarte - Turner Construction, assistant engineer
Carly Cobbold - Xerox, engineering
Sean Dawson - McKissack Group, construction management
Xavier del Rosario - Goldman Sachs Sophomore Rotational Program
Johnny Drayton - Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Irma Encarnacion - Children’s Aid Society
Courtney Ferguson - Specter De Souza Architects
Suliana Gallardo - Catholic Charities of USA
Angelina Gallesi - EOP peer counselor
Justine Gonzalez - Upward Bound, Resident Teaching Assistant
Nadeghda Gonzalez - International Public Policy Fellowship
Barrington Harvey - National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute
Kenya Lee - First Focus, public policy research
Carolina Lopez - Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship,
domestic violence in the Latino Community
Ananiki Peoples-Clark - HBO Production Department
Kelvin Quezada - Career Program, Lehman Brothers
Dahlia Raymond - Cornell University, biology research
Melissa Rodriguez - Community Service Society of NYC’s
Affordable Housing Unit
Hollis Savage - Time Warner, Corporate Responsibility
Phyllis Suen - Citigroup
Sean White - Citigroup
CAREER PROGRAM NEWS:
CAREER PROGRAM – MOST APPLICANTS, LARGEST CLASS
Applications for the Summer 2007 Career Program have grown to 4,800
from 3,600 in 2006. “We have a really phenomenal recruitment team – and
our alumni are returning to their campuses and spreading the word about
what a great program this is,” said Career Program Director, Tonya Gayle.
While SEO can’t accept every candidate, the class size has increased to 434
interns from 400 in 2006. The additional applicants make this year’s SEO
Career Program Class the most selective ever.
CORPORATE LAW PROGRAM SEES MAJOR GROWTH
The applicant pool for the Summer 2007 Corporate Law Program grew 250%
from last year’s pool – from 240 applicants to 615 applicants. SEO accepted
53 interns – up from 43 last summer. This increase is due in part to a new
approach to recruiting interns for this program. By identifying the most
appropriate candidates and approaching them directly, SEO was ensured not
only a larger number of applicants, but those who are best equipped to
achieve in the program. Another factor is the success of previous interns who
are now working at our partner firms. “Law firms are identifying SEO as an
effective way to build their minority pipeline and are hiring SEO interns
after the completion of law school,” said SEO Career Program Associate
Director, Louie Rodriguez. Six new partner firms have joined the Corporate
Law Program this year.
HONG KONG INTERNS POISED FOR CAREERS IN ASIA
Asia’s commercial epicenter is also the site of one of SEO’s fastest growing
international programs. The number of intern placements at investment
banks in Hong Kong has doubled since last summer, from 10 to 20, with
requests for up to 25 interns. SEO has proven that we can provide them with
exceptional talent who also have a desire to work in Asia after graduation,
and banks want more. SEO alumni in Asia have also built a great model for
mentoring, which is an invaluable support to interns who are working in
Hong Kong for the first time.
12th grade Scholars shared their summer enrichment experiences
at the Enrichment Program Fair on October 21, 2006.
ENHANCED SEO SCHOLARS
CURRICULUM
In addition to providing intensive test preparation,
the Scholars Program’s academic preparation
curriculum has recently been revised to cover critical
reading and critical writing, vocabulary, and grammar.
The Scholars Program will also implement new
technology as an aspect of the enhanced curriculum’s
focus on math learning. In addition to their Saturday
sessions, students will attend mid-week computerbased
math labs. The software, in conjunction with
direct instruction, will reinforce math skills and better
prepare students for success on standardized tests
and in advanced level math classes.
The underlying foundation for the new Scholars
curriculum is that if Scholars spend more time on
academic tasks, they will be better prepared to achieve
the same level of academic success as students who
have had more opportunities from an earlier age.
In 2006-2007, for example, 10th grade Scholars will
spend nearly 230 hours in academic activities – up
from 55 hours of similar programming in previous
years – including:
One additional day-long Saturday session per
month (currently three- to-four sessions, increased
from two-to-three sessions in 2005-2006)
One additional mandatory mid-week computer
lab per week
Added full-day sessions during school breaks
SEO Scholars Program activities extended through
the end of June
Bi-weekly speakers series featuring young
professionals of color
A four-week Academic Summer Boost Camp for
rising 10th and 11th graders
www.seo-usa.org spring07newsletter 7

spring07newsletter
SEO SCHOLAR STEVE MENENDEZ:
SUMMER EXPERIENCE IN BRAZIL
Steve Menendez (far left in top photo
and far-right in middle photo) and fellow travelers.
Standing on the edge of a 30-foot waterfall, Steve Menendez decided
it would be fine to walk away from the edge and not dive in – no one
would think any differently of him if he didn’t jump.
But it wasn’t about the people around him – he wanted to try it for himself. So he dove in.
He also pet a wild crocodile during his ecologically focused Summer 2006 trip to Brazil with
Experiment in International Living, which is one of SEO’s Summer Enrichment Program partners.
“I learned not to be afraid to take chances. One of the girls on the trip was deaf, but it didn’t
stop her from going on what was clearly going to be a challenging trip. I thought, if she can
do everything then so can I.”
Steve chose Brazil as his summer program destination because of his interest in biology.
“In biology you are constantly talking about the rainforest – I wanted to be there. I also wanted
to be challenged in a place where I didn’t speak the language.”
Steve learned Portuguese – and sign language from his friend – and learned about Brazil’s
unique ecological make-up as he traveled throughout the country. In Tacuarucu, where he
was hosted by a family for 12 days, the group visited some of the 70 waterfalls in the area.
They also spent time at an ecological preserve deep in the jungle – where he was introduced
to the crocodile.
“Our group leader told us not to go out at night – animals might attack you.” Luckily, Steve’s
new sense of adventure didn’t lead him to disregard that warning.
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity
55 Exchange Place, 6th floor
New York NY 10005
212.979.2040
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID
New York NY
Permit No.
8002
Return Service Requested