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N.J. Celebrity Magnet Tom Murro attends ceremony at Gracie Mansion

BY DEANNA CULLEN

FOR NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

THE CELEBRITY MAGNET

There's a reason for a midlife crisis: put simply, most people never took a leap of faith and gunned for the job of their dreams. The post-graduate accepts a mediocre job, time passes light-years faster than the average pencil pusher's workday, and suddenly the ‘Big 5-0' is just around the corner.

That's where the NYC Ladders for Leaders program — almost a better deal than a time machine to bring you back in time. A joint initiative of the NYC Commission on Women's Issues and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, the program, now in its fifth year, provides young New York high school and college students with the chance to explore different careers through professional internships.

Tom Murro, New Jersey's Celebrity Magnet, attended the 2010 Ladders for Leaders barbeque ceremony at Gracie Mansion on Monday, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg recognized its record 190 young participants this year. The participants had the opportunity to intern in both the private and public sectors, from NYC agencies, to foundations, to major corporations.

While mingling, Murro struck up a conversation with Jing Ma, a college student in Buffalo whose marketing aspirations have been cemented by the internship opportunity. The program also includes workshops, free Kaplan SAT preparation courses, and eligibility to receive partial college scholarships.

Up on stage, Mayor Bloomberg also announced the eight winners of the American Airlines College Tour Competition, which provides participants round-trip airfare to visit their dream colleges throughout the continental United States.

According to Murro, "the mayor was a pretty nice guy and spent most of his time on stage doing his shtick...working the crowd."

After engaging in a game of trivia on stage with Jing Ma and a few other interns, the mayor left the stage, where Murro had a chance to introduce himself and Ma to Mayor Bloomberg and pose for a few pictures. The mayor then made his way to the grilling area for a quick burger and drink before heading off to his next gig.