Ervin Toro
Foto: Vasjana Minga/
NEW YORK — The Albanian-American National Organization (AANO), New York Chapter, brought together nearly 200 students and more than 150 professionals at Fordham University on October 4 for the Albanian-American Student Summit, a day dedicated to mentorship, networking, professional development and strengthening connections across the Albanian-American community.
Held in collaboration with the Albanian Student Association at Fordham University, the Summit welcomed Albanian student organizations, nonprofit and community organizations, corporate and small-business sponsors, and professionals from across the New York metropolitan area.
The program featured accomplished Albanian-American leaders across four areas: Business, Finance & Leadership; Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Law, Leadership & Civic Impact; and Healthcare Without Limits. Panelists shared their professional journeys, lessons learned and practical advice with students while encouraging them to build relationships and seek opportunities beyond the classroom.
For Ervin Toro, President of AANO New York, the Summit represented something larger — the idea of connected success. “We have so many successful Albanians across every profession. The opportunity now is to connect that success, share our experience and create pathways for the next generation,” Toro said. Throughout the afternoon, students connected directly with professionals, entrepreneurs, businesses and community leaders, creating relationships that organizers hope will develop into mentorships, internships and future career opportunities.
The success of the Summit was made possible through the support of its corporate and small-business sponsors, participating Albanian student organizations, nonprofit and community organizations, featured panelists, volunteers and supporters who contributed their time, experience and resources.
Toro thanked everyone who helped bring the initiative together, emphasizing that collaboration between Albanian-American organizations and professionals is essential to creating lasting opportunities. “This is what connected success looks like — bringing our community together, sharing what we have built and using it to open doors for those coming after us.”
The sold-out gathering demonstrated both the strength of the Albanian-American professional community and the growing desire among younger generations to remain connected to it. For AANO New York, the Summit is not intended to be simply an annual event, but part of a broader effort to build stronger bridges between Albanian-American students, professionals, businesses and organizations — turning individual success into collective opportunity.