York University bachelor of commerce alumna Lucy Iacovelli is supporting female students at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) with a $25,000 donation to the Advancing YU program’s mentoring stream, Advancing Women Students program.
This donation will provide 25 Advancing YU participants with $1,000 in financial support to help lift economic barriers that often prevent third- and fourth-year women students from participating in valuable experiences outside the classroom.
Iacovelli is the Canadian managing partner, tax and chief administrative officer with KPMG Law LLP, and oversees KPMG’s National Tax and Law practices. This is Iacovelli’s third gift to LA&PS, having already set up two endowed awards for women students in the School of Administrative Studies. The gift is being made in partnership with CIBPA Education Foundation.
“Equity, diversity and inclusion are critically important to me,” says Iacovelli. “I am glad to work with LA&PS to empower the next generation of women graduates. This unique program enables women students to realize their academic dreams, and I am happy to play a role.”
Launched last year, Advancing YU is a unique program that matches select alumni with third- and fourth-year Black and/or women students who have completed a minimum of 54 credits to date for mentorship and skills development. This mentorship opportunity allows students to network, learn valuable skills from York alumni and prepare to enter the workforce. So far, more than 130 students and 46 mentors have participated in the program.
“We are grateful to Ms. Iacovelli for this donation which will go towards advancing equity-focused programming and empowering young women,” says Associate Dean Students Michele Johnson. “This gift will also help break down the financial barriers some of our students face.”
LA&PS alumni interested in becoming a mentor are encouraged to learn more about the program and how to get involved. To learn more about the benefits of the program and application openings for 2022, visit the Advancing YU webpage.