Snapshots

Lena Marie always dreamt of curtain calls, standing ovations and appearances on the red carpet.

But how does a girl from the South Bronx find her way to the stages and sets of her dreams? Education is one way, and Lena Marie is on that road now thanks to a college scholarship she earned through The Children’s Aid Society’s EXCEL (Educational eXcellence Creating Empowered Leaders) program.

“EXCEL really encouraged me"

This summer, Jones Day, a global law firm with 32 locations around the world, asked its summer associates to plan a fundraising event that would be both fun for their coworkers and a financial success for its beneficiary, The Children’s Aid Society.

Jones Day Lawyers Take On Fundraising

While working for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services and Bronx Family Court, Attorney Lynne Echenberg became acutely aware of the challenges faced by youth aging out of the foster care system. Primarily, they needed much more help than what the legal system was set up to provide. So when she was asked by The Children’s Aid Society to develop a program to help teens transition to independent living, Echenberg eagerly signed on to head The Next Generation Center (NGC).

Meet Lynne Echenberg