2026 Masterclass

Sofia Edmundson

Former Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibilities & Belonging  NYPR

Sofia kicks off Masterclass this summer with last year's popular session, You, Inc. as part of Building on Your Foundation week.

She breaks down the work of knowing ourselves into our values, knowledge, skills and experiences with an emphasis on our inner voice and thought-provoking questions, such as "What do you do well when no one else is watching?"

Manjit Devgun

Founder & Corporate Mind Coach  Manjit Meditation

"I’m passionate about re-wiring the mind for your authentic self.”

Globally renowned meditation coach Manjit Devgun returns for the 6th year in a row to support scholars in whatever moment of transition they are experiencing. For most of the Masterclass participants, it will be transitioning from high school to college — among other big life experiences.

Manjit guides scholars in a grounding meditation, and teaches skills that they can always tap into to feel calm, happy, and successful — and "tap into the magic of you."

Jayson Jones

Director, Learning Design and Innovation  McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, NYU

SPlus Board member Jayson Jones brings back the critical workshop, "Asking for Help Is a Strength" to share about his personal journey as a first-gen scholar at Cornell University through a lens of social work and curriculum development training, and — our favorite — his signature sense of humor.

Sara Martinez Arango

Operations Associate  North Star Fund

Sara started her career working as a facilitator in youth focused non-profits (including Scholarship Plus!). She is committed to the power of civic action through activism in many different ways, and will crack open this world for a conversation about entry points for us as members of a shared society, and how to weave a world where more networks of care exist, and where our message to each other is that there is room for all of us and there is enough for all us.

This workshop will challenge us to dream up the futures we want, and the role we can play in creating them—no limits! 

Laethitia Patadji, CFA

Equity Research Analyst (Emerging Markets)  Teacher Retirement System of Texas

In an introduction to personal finance workshop, From Diploma to Dollars: Building Real-World Money Skills, former founding Associate Board member Laethitia Patadji will demystify the steps to feeling empowered as scholars grow into fiscal independence.

Valerie Irick Rainford

CEO  Elloree Talent Strategies

As the founder of a company that is laser-focused on diversifying c-suites, Valerie inspires scholars by sharing her personal story of family history, lived experience, and perseverance — and her mission to make corporate America a more representative and inclusive space.

Valerie teaches invaluable life lessons through weaving in her own formative experiences, and captivates each listener — each and every time.

Cecilia Manzolillo

Career Coach  CCM Strategies

Scholarship Plus board member Cecilia Manzolillo brings extensive experience from the intersection of Wall Street and Columbia Business School's Career Management Center — a unique position from which she has become an invaluable advisor to SPlus scholars on their professional development journeys. Cecilia will be leading a workshop on both basics and nuances of Networking.

Lawrence Lin (SP '19)

Member of Technical Staff  Modal

Scholarship Plus alum and former software engineer at LinkedIn Lawrence Lin is going to teach current scholars how to Rock Your Profile!

Shaquille Zheng (SP '20)

Design Engineer  VDA

From our first masterclass series in 2020 to a speaker this year, Shaq breaks down the many kinds and need-to-knows of interviews.

Daisy Saldana

Assistant Director of Internships  The City College of NY

Highly experienced in shepherding first-gen students through their early career journeys, Daisy is perfectly positioned to help SPlus scholars tackle their resumes and cover letters to stand out in a recruitment world dominated by AI and staid templates.

Rosalino Molina

Founder & CEO  Elisa

To watch the rising star of first-gen and scholarship brother Rosalino is to see the success of creativity, perseverance, an amazing network — and someone who knows how to make the most of all three. Rosalino tells scholars the story of his mission to increase access to healthy children's food in Latin America.

Eli Bohemond

Head Coach  Your Career Strategy

Eli will close out this year's Masterclass Series with a workshop on how to Design Your Future in the Age of AI.