Mentor program for young women
Philosophy Behind Program
The idea behind “I’m up next” was born through the specific needs for women in education. In order for young girls to become successful in the workforce after high school and college, they need to see representation in that space to visualize it and then realize it. The thought is for them to gain understanding from professional women who work in male dominated fields. The focus will be on how these women cultivated their path after high school/college and their progression thus far in their careers. We want to have discussions centered on the ordeals and triumphs they may go through in pursuit of their careers. In addition, what their lives look like once their time as students was over.
The students who are participating in the program will dictate how the mentors in their perspective career fields are chosen. The selection of mentors will be selected according to the academic/career interest of the student, and on alternate interest or passions, they may want to pursue upon graduation.
To make the program successful and sustainable, each participant is encouraged to continue to foster a relationship with a mentor after the initial meeting.
Structure of Program
The meetings will be taking place in the third week of every month once a week. The mentor will either be in person or virtual. We will use a theme that aligns with a book throughout the year to focus on. The students will be encouraged to get the book to read beforehand. The mentor can offer an alternate book for the students to read which inspired them to achieve success.
We will have a twenty-minute conversation with the mentor then a ten-minute Q&A following each monthly session. Afterwards we will have a fifteen-minute conversation about how the monthly breakdown relates to that mentor’s journey and how it may help them achieve their goals. The following calendar is an example of how each month will be broken down (the example theme is from an actual book, but the mentors listed are fictional)…
Theme for the year: Leadership
Book: “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John Maxwell
October breakdown: Law of the Lid, Law of Influence, & Law of Process Mentor: Jane Smith (Co-owner of Design Firm)
November breakdown: Law of Navigation, Law of E.F. Hutton, & Law of Solid Ground Mentor: Veronica Doe (Owner of Non-Profit)
December breakdown: Law of Connection, Law of Inner Circle, & Law of Empowerment Mentor: Courtney Woman (Senior Associate AD for Internal Operations for State University)
January breakdown: Law of Big Mo, Law of Priorities, & Law of Sacrifice Mentor: Jane Doe (Head Trainer of Sports Medicine for Pro Team)
February breakdown: Law of Timing, Law of Explosive Growth, Law of Legacy Mentor: Sue Ladybird (Homemaker, Engineer Degree from Michigan University)
Mentors
Each mentor will be asked to provide a brief bio of themselves. It consists of, but not limited to, their hometown, college, major, if any sport played or interest/hobby, and any background information they’re willing to share that helped them grow into their career. We will want to discuss real issues faced for women when trying to develop career opportunities that have no traditional representation for women.
The hope is that our mentor will continue to be a part of our student development program and offer advice and support to the students throughout their year. All contact will be kept through e-mail after the initial meeting.
Target Demographic: High school and College