The Opportunity Network (OppNet) has awarded Syracuse University School of Information (iSchool) student Johanna Olivares ’11 the Bremond and Michael MacDougall Award for Student Achievement. The MacDougall award is given each year to one college senior in recognition of an exemplary academic record and professional accomplishments
“I feel honored,” said Olivares. “I’m pretty down to earth, so it’s a little bit scary to have to make a speech, but I’m also grateful they think of me so highly.”
A technology specialist, Olivares is the co-head of the Women in Technology group at the iSchool and has been involved with the OppNet since her sophomore year of high school. She is the first student from OppNet to get a full-time offer from J.P. Morgan Chase for the fall after interning at the company last summer.
“I wanted to go corporate and that was the plan I had in mind, but I didn’t think I’d go as far as finance,” she said, adding “The more I learned in my internship, the more I saw that technology is integrated into the business. Without IT, they can’t improve their way of working.”
Olivares will be honored at the “Night of Opportunity” dinner in New York City, an annual dinner for OppNet, where she will accept the award and speak to the attendees.
OppNet, founded in 2002 by Brian Weinstein and Jessica Pliska, seeks to equal the playing field for high-achieving, underserved high school and college students by creating access for them to career opportunities, professional networks and colleges. OppNet provides courses and school activities to high school students, as well as helps them with college applications and find resources at universities.