Jovanne Myers

FOUNDER

Meet Jovanne Myers, the Founder and creator of Opportunity Exposed Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization. Her passion for youth and dedication to closing the achievement gap have driven her to increase the enrollment of African American students in post-secondary education. Growing up in Southern California, Jovanne noticed that many students of color were not discussing college but were instead entering the workforce or joining the military after high school. After graduation, several of her high school friends attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as local University of California and California State University schools. When they returned to Quartz Hill, CA, in the summer of 2005, the change in their confidence and maturity from attending college was evident.

Jovanne Myers said, “Exposure to college and diverse life situations fosters personal growth and broadens your worldview.” After earning her Master’s Degree in Psychology and Counseling from Loyola Marymount University, she began her career with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, working in Probation Juvenile Detention Centers. Data shows that these centers contain 85-90% minority students. Seeing this, she felt a strong need to help and believed that exposing students to college was the best way to do so. Just as college positively impacted her and her friends, she believes it can do the same for the upcoming generation.

Opportunity Exposed Inc. was founded with the goal of introducing minority students to colleges and universities by incorporating their favorite athletes, TV stars, and careers of interest. This approach allows students to hear college stories from people they admire and learn how these individuals achieved their current success.

In Spring 2019, the inaugural college event at WACO Theater Center in Hollywood, CA, saw over 250 students in attendance. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the planned event at Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy was moved online. This shift allowed Opportunity Exposed Inc. to expand its reach significantly introducing virtual college and career fairs, serving over 4,100 students in 2020, compared to 250 in 2019. Opportunity Exposed Inc. continues to grow and aims to inspire the next generation by increasing the enrollment of students of color in college.