Steven Petersen Champions NY state in our 50 State Campaign

We’re excited to announce that a commitment from Steven Petersen to champion New York State’s campaign brings us halfway to our goal for the state’s new mentoring program!

Steve is Chair of the Board for icouldbe.org, and joined our board of directors in 2006. Steve says he “got lucky” in his academic career by having a good support network consisting of great parents and teachers. He ultimately pursued a career in finance, and is now a principal and Global Controller of TPG-Axon Capital Management, a global investment firm headquartered in New York.

Steve’s interest in mentoring came from his understanding that there is a huge differential between opportunities afforded some kids versus others due to various factors and says “icouldbe.org attacks that inequity by giving children of meager means in terms of both income as well as connections, the tools to improve their life”.  He says “some of the most important gifts a mentor can give a mentee are the knowledge of what is available to them, the confidence that they can indeed succeed and the guts to not be afraid to fail”.

Knowing that mentoring is one solution for kids to gain confidence, do better in school, and be educated on the opportunities available to them, Steve became involved in icouldbe.org, and became a mentor himself. He is now championing to bring the icouldbe.org program to a new school in New York State, and recently matched campaign donations by contributing $4,000 – half of what is needed to implement a program.

As of today, New York has raised $4,487 – 56% of the way towards their goal to bring a new mentoring program to a local school.  If you’re from New York, can you help us spread the word or make a donation?

You can also vote for your school to be the recipient of the program!

(Oh, and don’t forget – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents are racing to see who will get a program first. Donate, and you’ll be entered to win a fantastic night’s stay at a premier resort and spa in beautiful Vermont! <link to info>)

icouldbe.org would like to thank Steve for his generous contribution, and his hard work on the board of icouldbe.org, and of course as a mentor!

If you live in another state and want your community to be the first to reach the $8,000 goal, contact us today and we can help you get started.  Contact Jeremy Weinstein at Jeremy@icouldbe.org to learn how to become a champion for your state.

The race is on for New York, Connecticut and New Jersey

Help your state be first – and be entered for an amazing giveaway!

Our 50 State Campaign is well underway, and a few states are more than halfway to reaching their goals!  Which state will be first to bring a brand new online mentoring program to a local public school?

The race appears to be on between New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. We can’t help but wonder which state will be first to raise the needed funds! So, we thought we’d add a little incentive to make things fun.

Residents in the tri-state area can help your state be the first in the campaign to get a program. Here’s what you can do today:

1. Head to our campaign site and choose NY, NJ or CT on the map.

2. Make a donation of $5 or more by June 30^th.

3. You’ll automatically be entered to win a free night at The Essex – Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa. Perfect for a summer getaway. We will announce the winner on July 1^st.

And, don’t forget: when you make a donation, you can also vote for the school that YOU think needs a mentoring program the most. The icouldbe.org online mentoring program has been proven to lower dropout rates, provide needed support to each individual student served and improve a student’s confidence and academic performance.

So – will your state be the first to succeed? It could be, with your help!