She grew up in New York City’s foster care system, experienced homelessness, and struggled to graduate high school on time. Today, she’s an accomplished attorney at Verizon, helping the telecommunications giant navigate artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and emerging technology. From working with a future Supreme Court Justice to becoming an award-winning corporate legal professional, Alycia M. Guichard’s extraordinary journey is a story of resilience, determination, and breaking barriers.
A CHILDHOOD FILLED WITH OBSTACLES — BUT A DREAM THAT NEVER DIED
Some people are born into opportunity. Others have to fight for every opportunity they receive. For Alycia M. Guichard, success was never guaranteed.
Growing up in New York City’s foster care system, Alycia experienced challenges that could have easily derailed her future. She faced homelessness, attended multiple middle and high schools, and did not graduate on the traditional timeline. Yet despite the instability surrounding her, she never abandoned one of her biggest dreams: attending New York University.
While her circumstances were constantly changing, her determination to pursue an education remained strong. What began as a dream during a difficult childhood would eventually become the foundation of an extraordinary legal career.
FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Alycia’s journey toward higher education began at SUNY Westchester Community College, where she developed her interests in communication, journalism, and understanding the world around her.
While attending the college, she worked at the campus radio station and covered the college president’s office for the student newspaper. Those experiences helped strengthen her communication skills and opened the door to new opportunities.
Her dedication eventually earned her the opportunity to transfer to New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, where she studied Media, Culture, and Communication. She also pursued a minor in sociology through NYU’s College of Arts and Science, reflecting her interest in understanding people and society.
In 2001, Alycia graduated from NYU, accomplishing the dream she had held on to throughout her difficult childhood. For someone who had experienced homelessness and instability, earning a degree from NYU represented far more than an academic milestone. It was proof that her circumstances did not have to determine her future.
FROM NYU TO WORKING WITH A FUTURE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
But Alycia wasn’t finished breaking barriers.
After graduating from NYU, she continued her education at Fordham University School of Law, where she received a full-tuition scholarship from the American Bar Association.
Her decision to pursue law was deeply connected to her personal experiences growing up in foster care. She wanted to better understand the legal system and explore ways to improve protections and opportunities for vulnerable children.
During law school, Alycia secured an extraordinary opportunity when she worked as a summer law clerk for Sonia Sotomayor, who was then a federal appellate judge and would later become a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
For a young woman whose childhood had been filled with uncertainty, working alongside a future Supreme Court Justice marked another remarkable chapter in her journey.
FROM THE COURTROOM TO FIGHTING FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN
Following law school, Alycia became a graduate and clinical teaching fellow at Georgetown University Law Center, becoming the first Fordham Law graduate to receive that position, according to NYU.
She later spent six years serving as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender in New Jersey, representing children who had experienced abuse and neglect. Her work allowed her to advocate for vulnerable young people facing difficult circumstances, including children involved in the foster care system.
During this period, she also held several positions at Rutgers University School of Law–Newark, including serving as visiting clinical faculty in the Child Advocacy Clinic and taking on leadership responsibilities involving minority student programs and externships.
She also worked with the nonprofit organization Street Law to help people better understand the legal, educational, and financial support needed by children in foster care and other at-risk youth.
The young girl who once navigated the foster care system had become an attorney dedicated to helping children facing serious challenges of their own.
THE OPPORTUNITY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
In 2012, Alycia attended the Street Law Gala in Washington, D.C., where she shared her personal journey.
During the event, she met John Frantz, who was then a senior vice president and deputy general counsel at Verizon. Impressed by her story and professional experience, Frantz invited her to speak with students participating in Verizon’s Pro Bono Law Program.
That connection would eventually open the door to an entirely new chapter in her career.
In 2015, Alycia was hired by Verizon to revamp its Pro Bono Program, helping strengthen the company’s efforts to provide legal services and support to communities in need. The following year, she joined Verizon full-time as Staff Counsel for its Product & New Business Group.
After approximately one year reviewing products from development through their introduction to the marketplace, she was promoted to Product and Marketing Counsel for Verizon Business Group.
What began as an opportunity to share her story had developed into a growing corporate legal career.
FROM FOSTER CARE TO THE FUTURE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Today, Alycia M. Guichard has established herself as a legal professional working at the intersection of technology, business, and innovation.
As Emerging Technology Counsel for Verizon Global Services, she advises senior executives across corporate and network systems on legal strategies involving artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, cybersecurity, audit risk, and regulatory compliance.
Her responsibilities place her within important conversations about how major corporations develop and implement new technologies while managing legal obligations and business risks.
As artificial intelligence continues transforming industries around the world, attorneys with experience in emerging technology play an increasingly significant role in helping organizations navigate innovation responsibly.
For Alycia, the journey from experiencing homelessness as a child to advising corporate leaders on complex technology matters represents an extraordinary professional transformation.
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Alycia’s achievements extend beyond her work at Verizon.
In addition to her undergraduate degree from NYU and law degree from Fordham, she earned a Master of Laws in Advocacy with Distinction from Georgetown Law and a Master of Business Administration from Strayer University.
Her academic accomplishments reflect a commitment to education and professional development that has continued throughout her career.
But despite her success in corporate America, Alycia has remained connected to her passion for helping others overcome obstacles.
She founded AMG EmPowers, an initiative offering mentorship programs, interactive workshops, and speaking engagements designed to help individuals build resilience, recognize their potential, and pursue meaningful goals.
Through this work, she continues to share lessons from her personal and professional experiences while encouraging others to believe in possibilities beyond their present circumstances.
NYU HONORS HER EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY
In 2025, Alycia received one of the most meaningful recognitions of her career when New York University named her the recipient of its Dorothy Height Distinguished Alumni Award.
The recognition celebrated her professional accomplishments, leadership, and commitment to empowering others.
For someone who had dreamed of attending NYU while growing up in foster care, returning to the university as a distinguished alumna represented a powerful full-circle moment.
The institution that once represented a seemingly distant dream was now recognizing her for the life and career she had built.
Her relationship with NYU has continued long after graduation, including maintaining connections with mentors and returning to share her experiences with students.
TURNING PAIN INTO PURPOSE AND PURPOSE INTO IMPACT
What makes Alycia M. Guichard’s journey so compelling isn’t simply the prestigious universities she attended, the influential legal professionals she worked alongside, or the corporate positions she earned. It’s the challenges she overcame and the ways she has used her experiences to support others.
She understands what it means to face uncertainty, experience instability, and pursue opportunities that may initially seem out of reach.
Her professional journey has taken her from advocating for children in the legal system to advising executives at one of America’s largest telecommunications companies.
Yet her commitment to mentorship and empowerment demonstrates that success, for Alycia, extends beyond professional titles.
According to NYU’s 2025 profile, she was also writing a memoir intended to encourage others to recognize their potential, overcome obstacles, and pursue their goals.
WHO IS ALYCIA M. GUICHARD? A WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO LET HER PAST DEFINE HER FUTURE
Alycia M. Guichard is an attorney, an NYU graduate, a Fordham Law alumna, a former public defender, a child advocate, a corporate legal professional, and the founder of AMG EmPowers.
She has worked with a future Supreme Court Justice, represented vulnerable children, helped advance corporate pro bono initiatives, and built a career advising executives on some of today’s most complex emerging technologies.
But behind those accomplishments is a personal story that makes her journey especially powerful.
She experienced homelessness, grew up in foster care, and faced educational challenges that could have prevented her from pursuing her dreams. Instead, she continued building a future that eventually led her from community college to NYU, from law school to public service, and from the courtroom to corporate America.
Alycia M. Guichard’s story is more than a story of professional success. It’s a reminder that the circumstances of your childhood do not have to determine the possibilities of your future.
From homelessness and foster care to becoming an award-winning attorney at Verizon, her journey demonstrates the power of education, perseverance, mentorship, and opportunity.
Her life carries a message for anyone who has ever been told their dreams were too big: Where you begin does not have to determine how far you can go.
