On Tuesday, September 12th, iMentor NYC hosted its Ask-a-Mentor Networking Night with partners and co-sponsors Partnership for NYC and City Year, which provided an opportunity to hear stories and ask current iMentor mentors about their experiences in a panel. Key figures who attended the event included Merrill Pond, Executive Vice President, Partnership for NYC; Queens Deputy Borough President Ebony Young; and Sherman Reid of the iMentor Young Executive Board.
"Partnership for NYC was proud to co-sponsor iMentor’s Ask-a-Mentor Night, which brought together mentors and professionals from across New York City. Events like this remind us that when we come together as a community, we can champion and create opportunities for the next generation of leaders,” said Pond. “We are honored to be part of iMentor’s effort to provide critical support to students across the city, and we look forward to future collaboration."
Scott Millstein, Executive Director of iMentor NYC, opened the event by underscoring the tremendous need for mentors in New York City. His remarks were followed by Queens Deputy Borough President Ebony Young who emphasized the importance of mentorship by sharing a personal story about her own mentor who inspired her to be her best and challenged her every day.
"Even to this day, I know that my leadership is so effective because of my mentor. I encourage each and every one of you to reach out to someone and to touch their life,” said Young. “Walk them down a path and watch them turn around and give it to you right back."
Taylor Lewis, Associate Director of Corporate Recruitment and Partnership of iMentor NYC, led the Ask-a-Mentor session with four mentors. They spoke to the importance of mentoring and how it not only supports students but helps them in their own professional lives, while not being too much of a time commitment. Mentors Mark Caserta from Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, James Niemeyer from Weill Cornell Medicine, Jacob Henschel from RBC Capital Markets, and Hannah Frey from IBM acted as the panel experts.
"Mentoring has shown me that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't always work,” said Henschel. “I've learned to adapt my leadership style to get the best results, not only with my mentee Felix, but also in my professional life."
After the mentoring panel, the event transitioned to a networking hour where professionals learned about different iMentor partners and heard about their professional lives. There are over 3,000 mentors in iMentor, and they come from a diverse range of job sectors. Partnership for NYC’s members include business leaders and employers from corporate, investment, and entrepreneurial firms. Additionally, City Year Alumni are a group of service-minded and civically engaged young professionals who aim to make a difference in their communities through their work.
By bringing these groups together, iMentor, Partnership for NYC, and City Year helped drive new volunteers and brand awareness for iMentor. This not only provided support for iMentor’s mission but helped create meaningful relationships between the members and volunteers of the respective organizations, which allow for greater collaboration.
“Recruiting thousands of people to support our high school students in one-on-one mentorships truly takes a village,” said Rachel Hutt, Senior Manager of Recruitment, iMentor. “Building partnership with organizations such as Partnership for NYC and City Year is a key way in which iMentor NYC’s Volunteer Engagement team is able to share the mission of what iMentor does and to recruit enough people each year so that every student who wants a mentor will get one. We look forward to stewarding these relationships and to growing new ones in future recruitment seasons.”
