Cool Careers, Potential Paths: Exposure to Early Career Networks
Building upon the success of our Cool Careers, Potential Paths programming last fall, volunteers joined us this spring to share their career journeys with our students! Career exploration is important for broadening students’ exposure to different industries at an earlier age. Getting to know adults in a variety of jobs and leadership roles can help inform our students’ sense of possibility and plant the seeds for future educational and professional choices.
Career Exploration – Why Now?
Early career exploration offers students exposure to job sectors and networks of professionals they may not otherwise encounter. Research from education newsroom The Hechinger Report shows “roughly two-thirds of high school graduates said they would have benefited from more career exploration in middle or high school.” Hosting Cool Careers, Potential Paths for our students gives them time to pursue classes and activities to further those interests and develop new ones. Student ambassadors from each school also have a chance to demonstrate their leadership skills as they guide volunteers throughout the events and practice their networking skills.
Exposure to a Variety of Professions and Industries
Students expressed interest in the day-to-day activities of specific roles and asked questions about what to study in college. “How did you get your first job?” and “How much money can you make in this role?” were frequently asked questions at the events. While some volunteers started their careers based on what they studied in school, others started in one industry and then pivoted to another.
At one event, a student’s question about COVID-19 vaccines led to an impromptu biochemistry lesson with Dr. Jose Ricardo Moreno, a former cancer researcher who now leads equity research in healthcare diagnostics tools at RBC Capital Markets. Kenya Bryant, a TYWLS alumna, talked about making a positive impact through philanthropy. She reflected on her early work in youth development, followed by roles at The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation and Citi Foundation.
Students connected with volunteers from a variety of industries, including:
- Medicine and Healthcare
- Banking and Finance
- Beauty and Cosmetics
- Education
- Media and Entertainment
- Public Service and Philanthropy
- Science, Technology, and Engineering
Many of the speakers encouraged the students to pursue their passions and interests in college, try new things, and be open to changing their minds.
Subheader sample: Lorem ipsum et sin met. Nearly 100% of The Young Women’s Leadership Schools’ (TYWLS) graduates attend college.
Gratitude
We are grateful for over 200 volunteers who shared their time with our students during this academic year. Your commitment to our students helps advance educational equity and opportunity both within and outside of the classroom. Thank you!
Many thanks to our supporters who make the Cool Careers, Potential Paths series possible, including The Estée Lauder Companies, Apollo Opportunity Foundation, Nike, Royal Bank of Canada, News Corp, Con Edison, Costco, Deutsche Bank, American Eagle, Intercos, Sony, Aerie, and Steve Madden.
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