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Sandy Weill
Chairman and CEO, Citigroup, Inc.
Sandy Weill has spent the last twenty years committed to the vision of making lifelong learning accessible to all. From his work championing early childhood programs in the early 1980s, to his extensive involvement in arts education, to his newest endeavor with Cornell Medical School, Weill has brought his business experience and community spirit into the field of education.
In 1980, Weill recognized first-hand the need for well-prepared high school graduates as he struggled to find qualified workers. He approached the then Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools with his vision for a career preparation program. From this vision, the Academy of Finance was born.
From its inception, the Academy was designed as a program of industry-related courses, with paid internships for students, speakers, and site visits. In addition, industry training was provided to teachers in order to prepare them to instruct these unique courses. The program produced some unexpected results, however: rather than heading directly into the workforce, over 90 percent of that first Academy class went on to college.
The program's impressive results led to the creation of the National Academy Foundation (NAF). Today, some 30,000 public high school students in 40 states are being served by NAF. |
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