Academy of Career Readiness at Northwell Health’s Norwalk Hospital celebrates first class of graduat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Academy of Career Readiness at Northwell Health’s Norwalk Hospital celebrates first class of graduates in partnership with Dalio Education 

The program is designed to support young adults as they explore healthcare career pathways and build the foundational skills needed for long-term success. 

NORWALK, Conn., May 21, 2026 — Northwell Health’s Norwalk Hospital celebrated the first six graduates today as the inaugural class of the Academy for Career Readiness. The program was designed in partnership with Dalio Education who provided a generous grant to help train young people for careers in healthcare. 

The inaugural class of graduates from the Academy of Career Readiness at Norwalk Hospital include: Aiyanna Pempleton, 19, Dejanae Rubio, 21, Johnathan McCullen, 26, and Luis German, 25, of Stamford and Christopher Mendieta, 24, and Richard Warthen, 25, of Norwalk. 

“Today, we celebrate six remarkable graduates whose hard work and determination reflect exactly what the Academy for Career Readiness was created to support — meaningful pathways to opportunity, purpose and long-term success,” says Peter R. Cordeau, president of Norwalk Hospital. “Through our collaboration with Dalio Education, Domus Kids and the McChord Foundation, we are honored to help young people in Norwalk and the surrounding communities build the skills, confidence and experience they need to launch careers in healthcare and strengthen the future of our workforce.” 

“This is an exciting day for all of us fortunate enough to be part of this incredible program, but most importantly, it’s an exciting day for these talented graduates. I congratulate each of you, and I want you to know what an inspiration you are — to us, to other young people who aspire to follow in your footsteps, and to your families and friends, who I know are incredibly proud of you. Thank you for making this program such a success and thank you to the team at Northwell Health for partnering with us to make this program possible. A special thank you to the McChords for their support and shared mission to uplift young adults,” says Barbara Dalio, founder and CEO of Dalio Education. 

Nearly 120,000 of Connecticut’s 14 to 26-year-olds, including 1,356 youths in Norwalk, are at-risk or disconnected from education and employment systems that can help them achieve economic self-sufficiency. 

The investment from Dalio Education supports its newest workforce development initiative. The Academy for Career Readiness at Norwalk Hospital, created in partnership with Dalio Education, Domus Kids and the McChord Foundation, is designed to support young adults as they explore healthcare career pathways and build the foundational skills needed for long-term success. 

The Academy for Career Readiness is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at fostering economic self-sufficiency and career development among local youth. The 12-week program is a part of the larger workforce development strategy focused on providing opportunities for 18- to 26-year-olds who need support. 

Together, Northwell Health, Dalio Education, Domus Kids and the McChord Foundation are creating pathways to careers in healthcare for a population of young people whom most workforce readiness programs are not designed to support, providing the wraparound services, hard and soft skills development and experiential opportunities that will prepare those who are enrolled to succeed in gainful employment. The design of this targeted workforce training program creates the model for how public, private and philanthropic sectors can work together to deliver real, measurable change for a population of young people who have been chronically underserved.