2 York Students Become Ambassadors, Connecting Peers to Career Opportunities

Two standout York College students have been selected as Student Ambassadors for the New York Jobs CEO Council -- a role that positions them to help peers access internships and career-building roles at top companies across New York City.

Amanosi Onwude and Kyame Israel are the proud ambassadors representing York. Israel, a Computer Science major with a Mathematics minor, and Onwude, a double major in Communications Technology and Mathematics, were selected through York’s Career Services office and are part of a CUNY-wide ambassador cohort trained to mentor students toward professional opportunities.

For Israel, the journey to success wasn’t linear. After leaving a four-year CUNY college due to academic challenges, he spent years in low-wage retail jobs before earning an associate degree at Kingsborough Community College and transferring to York. A difficult exchange with a supervisor prompted the turning point. “His turning point came during a tense moment at work before returning to school. “A supervisor told me I had to complete some tasks I didn’t agree to,” he recalled. “When I protested, she said, ‘You agreed to all of this when you took the job.’ That’s when it hit me -- this is my life without a degree.”

At York, Israel flourished. He conducted research at the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, joined the dynamic CUNY Tech Prep program, and earned a spot in CUNY’s STEM + Green Hub Summer Internship Program. That opportunity led to a Software Engineer internship at biomedical startup Sydra Inc., based at The City College of New York. “I wouldn’t say I’m brilliant,” he gently protested when it was suggested that he must be. “Just ambitious and driven.”

Onwude, who chose York for its proximity to her Springfield Gardens home, is equally driven. A member of York's Student Government Association (SGA), she joined the ambassador program to boost her career readiness and help others do the same. “They provide monthly meetings, trainings, and use social media platforms, all to help us build professional skills,” said the thriving sophomore, who graduated from Gateway High School. “I like being in college because I gain more access to opportunities and I like being able to share this (CEO Council) knowledge with other students.”

Founded in 2021 during the pandemic, the New York Jobs CEO Council aims to place 100,000 New Yorkers from underrepresented communities into career-pathway jobs by 2030, including at least 25,000 CUNY students. Notably, Israel played a role in York’s inclusion. After attending a presentation at BMCC and noticing York wasn’t listed amongst partner schools, he spoke to a presenter at the Council to find out why, and they agreed York should indeed be included.

Since its launch, the Council has helped over 9,500 CUNY grads land full-time jobs and 3,000+ secure internships. As ambassadors, Onwude and Israel promote Council events, encourage internship applications, and participate in activities like the CEO speaker series and industry treks. Most meetings are remote, and ambassadors can earn up to $500 per semester upon completing all tasks.

Their leadership is paving clearer paths to meaningful careers for fellow Cardinals. To qualify as a Jobs Council Ambassador, students must be in at least their second year, active in student clubs, and commit for the academic year.