“As a first-generation student in the U.S., it sometimes feels impossible to navigate your way through the job scouting world. Joining the CSA was the best thing I could have done. Not only are you exposed to other individuals encountering the same struggles, but you also learn how to face them.”
— Nina Zadushlivy, CSA Alum ’22
Strategies for Student Success
The public health workforce nationwide has become more recognized and understood as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The workforce lacks diversity at its highest ranks with 66% of all executives identifying as white, and CUNY is uniquely positioned to advance the careers of diverse professionals while disrupting poverty. Rebuilding public health infrastructure requires honed support through education and professional development for those new to the field or seeking advancement.
Career Skills Academy (CSA) students enroll as cohorts and are taught by a dedicated career services staff. CSA staff offer high-touch, high-impact career services to build soft skills, from individual and group career coaching to skill-share sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities with CSA alumni and peer mentors. Through our signature Public Health Masterclass series, the program offers exclusive opportunities for Academy students to engage with employers and industry leaders. CSA students have the opportunity to connect with professional partners for networking, informational interviews, and shadowing. The CSA team works with the students to prepare them in advance of these connections.
BY THE NUMBERS
CSA participants report significant professional growth at the completion of the program:
100%
understand their professional values (28% increase)
100%
feel confident to self-advocate in professional settings (117% increase)
97%
are confident in their resume writing abilities (59% increase)
97%
feel prepared for job interviews (28% increase)
92%
are confident in cover letter writing (63% increase)
82%
feel confident to engage in salary negotiation (447% increase)
Growth across the eight NACE Career Readiness Competencies averaged at a 28% increase, with the most notable improvements in Critical Thinking (+37%), Communication (+36%), Leadership (+34%), and Career and Self-Development (+28%).
IN THEIR OWN WORDS*
“I used to feel timid about asking for a salary increase. CSA changed that. I feel more confident and equipped to advocate for myself.”
“I learned a lot from our guest speakers and have taken their advice to heart and applied it to my daily work and academic life.”
* 2024-2025 Participant Program Assessments
The Career Skills Academy is a remote program with select opportunities for in-person engagement.
PREVIOUS MASTERCLASS SPEAKERS
Gil Addo
Co-Founder and CEO, RubiconMD
Dr. Marilyn Aguirre-Molina
Professor Emerita, CUNY SPH
Dr. Toyin Ajayi
Co-Founder and CEO, Cityblock Health
Michael Akinyele
Chairman, CEO and Founder, The Maximizer Group
Ana Almanzar
Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives, City of New York
Tiffanee Baisden
Data Engineering Manager, Accenture
Dr. Susan Beane
Executive Medical Director – Health System Transformation, Healthfirst
Avery Bowser
Director of Strategy and Innovation, MJHS
Alfonso Chang
Chief Executive Officer, Parsolex
Austin Cheng
CEO, Gramercy Surgery Center
Margaret Crotty
President & CEO, John Snow International
Dr. Torian Easterling
First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Bunny Ellerin
Co-Founder and CEO, NYC Health Business Leaders
Jie Feng
Co-founder and CEO, Kells
Michele Galen
Executive and Leadership Development Coach, Michele Galen LLC
Deborah Garcia
Chief Development Officer, Doctors Without Borders
Dr. Estevan Garcia
Chief Health and Wellness Officer, Dartmouth University
Dr. Julian Harris
Operating Partner, Healthcare Services, Deerfield
Cesar Herrera
CEO and Founder, Yuvo Health
Dr. Christina Jenkins
Healthcare Investor
Jordana Kier
Co-Founder, LOLA
Shruti Kothari
Director of Industry Initiatives, Health Care Reform, Blue Shield of California
Jennifer Li
Vice President of Business Development, Samsung Health
Jordan Lowmark
Health Policy and Strategy Consultant, Sachs Policy Group
Katrina Mateo
Associate Director, Development Innovation, Regeneron
Gretchen Mathews
Chief Executive Officer, Apa Aesthetic
Michael Meng
Co-Founder and CEO, Stellar Health
Omar Njie
Principal, AlleyCorp
Sarah Nusbaum
AVP Provider Operations, Stellar Health
Dr. Errol Pierre
Senior Vice President of State Programs, Healthfirst
Nkrumah Pierre
Managing Director, EisnerAmper
Claudia Ponce
Director of People Operations, Viva Eve
Dr. Saquib Rahim
Healthcare executive, practicing physician
Nicholas Richards
Senior Revenue Integrity Analyst, NYU Langone Health
Dr. Nicole Fisher Roberts
Executive Director, Feed a Billion
Evelyn Rodstein
Executive Coach
Dr. Ludwing Florez-Salamanca
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Mayra Salamanca
Behavior Program Manager, Sanitas Florida
Dr. Tina Shah
Chief Clinical Officer, Abridge
Dr. Rachel E. Sobel
Vice President, Head of the Pharmacoepidemiology and Risk Management Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Alicia Voorhees
Vice President of Network Strategy and Growth, Stellar Health
