We work with iMentor to empower first-generation students from low-income communities to graduate high school, succeed in college and achieve their ambitions. Last week, our mentees Elizabeth and Steven joined us at our New York City offices as part of iMentor's "take your mentee to work day." Elizabeth and Steven are high school juniors at Bronx High School for Law and Community Service.
After picking our mentees up from the Bryant Park subway stop, we welcomed them to the office and gave them a tour of the space. Elizabeth then shadowed a finance conference call with corporate partner Ron Franklin, while Steven met with attorneys from various departments. No visit to the Proskauer offices would be complete without a trip to Shake Shack, enjoyed in our cafeteria at a table that gave us expansive views of the city. At lunch, we talked about our college experiences and our mentees' future career goals. Our mentees asked a lot of questions about the transition to college (which is starting to feel like a long time ago for us!), and about why we decided to attend our respective colleges and ultimately decided to become lawyers.We have each found iMentor to be an extremely rewarding program, a refreshing change of pace from our usual daily routines, and a great way to feel more connected to New York City. We each enjoyed our high school and college experiences, and feel like much of our individual success came from having guidance and support from a network of family and friends. We are trying to provide a similar experience for our mentees.
We meet Elizabeth and Steven once a month during the school year at their high school. We also complete weekly online lessons with our mentees, focused on various aspects of the college application process such as financial aid and scholarship applications, college essay topics, SAT test prep and developing a list of colleges. iMentor also holds various special events for its mentors and mentees including visits to local colleges that the mentees may be interested in attending.
"Take your mentee to work day" was a fun way for us to connect with our mentees one more time prior to the summer, and we're both looking forward to mentoring Elizabeth and Steven as high school seniors this coming fall.
iMentor serves nearly 9,000 students through its direct-service programs in New York City, Chicago, and the Bay Area and through its partnerships with local non-profit organizations that implement its model in 44 schools.
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