On Dec. 11, members of West Hempstead Secondary School’s Virtual Enterprise firms attended the Winning Futures (formerly Winning Women) Leadership Conference at the Deloitte corporate offices in New York City.
Seniors Zoe Balogh and Elizabeth Poirot, who are both CEOs of the secondary school’s two Virtual Enterprise firms, At Your Service and Activ8, respectively, attended the conference with Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Ms. Stacy Gulisano. Co-sponsored by Osaic, a prominent global wealth management companies, the Winning Futures Leadership Conference is an early-career development program for student leaders enrolled in the VE program. Students had the opportunity to engage with and learn from inspiring business professionals about the skills needed to build successful careers.
The morning session began with a leadership coaching presentation by Lara Abrash, chair of Deloitte’s U.S. Board. She emphasized the importance of taking responsible risks, communicating directly, and building a strong résumé. The next speaker, Carol Anne Riddell — host of “Arts in the City” on CUNY TV and a former NBC journalist and newscaster — shared her experience and offered practical guidance on building a personal brand, establishing a professional presence, and developing effective communication skills. The morning concluded with a financial empowerment workshop led by Amy Demchak of the East Hampton Union Free School District.
After a networking lunch, attendees participated in small breakout sessions featuring themed activities focused on leadership, teamwork and presentation skills. These sessions were led by business mentors from a wide range of fields at Deloitte and Osaic, including accounting and human resources, providing students with a broad professional perspective.
Photo captions:
1: On Dec. 11, members of West Hempstead Secondary School’s Virtual Enterprise firms attended the Winning Futures (formerly Winning Women) Leadership Conference at the Deloitte corporate offices in New York City.
2: Seniors Elizabeth Poirot, left, and Zoe Balogh are CEOs of the secondary school’s VE firms.
3: The Winning Futures Leadership Conference is an early-career development program for student leaders enrolled in the VE program.
Photos courtesy of the West Hempstead Union Free School District
