MENTOR INFORMATION PACKET - Thriving Elements...one of the reasons why I want to continue to expand...
Transcript of MENTOR INFORMATION PACKET - Thriving Elements...one of the reasons why I want to continue to expand...
OUR MISSIONcreate access & opportunities for underprivileged girls in STEM through mentoring
OUR VISIONdevelop & empower women leaders in STEM to make a sustainable impact in their communities and inspire the next generation of young women
MENTOR INFORMATION PACKETour story | benefits |expectations | partnership | selection process | apply
OUR STORYMy parents came to America in the late 1980’s
as refugees from Vietnam. Like most immigrant
families, my they worked hard to provide for my
brother and I, but with the language barrier and
cultural differences, they did not fully
understand the education system in America. I
knew the only way I was going to succeed was
through higher education and it was up to me on
how far I could go. My journey to where I am
now was tough but luckily, I had a lot of help
along the way. Particularly, my high school
accounting teacher, Mr. David Niendorf,
believed in me and saw my potential before I
could see it myself. He became my mentor and
guided me through the complexities for
obtaining higher education.
When I was a freshman, Foster High School
offered an award known as the Achiever’s
Scholarship, which was given to students in
Washington State who achieved academic
excellence but also needed financial assistance
for college. I studied relentlessly and tried to
excel in all my classes in hopes of winning the
award. However, midway through the school
year, the City of Tukwila laid out plans to build a
new route for the Light Rail which went right
through my parent’s house. With no other
options, our family moved to Tacoma, and I
enrolled at Stadium High School to finish out the
rest of my high school years. Unlike Foster, the
Achiever’s Scholarship was not offered at
Stadium. Although I was disappointed, it just
meant that I needed to figure creative ways to
pay for college. One avenue was through the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
program.
In the Asian culture, sharing salary information is
considered taboo. Although my family qualified
for financial aid, I was unable to provide the
salary information needed to complete the
FAFSA. This meant it was more important than
ever to find alternative ways to find financial aid.
I researched and applied for as many
scholarships as possible. With Mr. Neindorf’s
help and many letters of recommendations, I
was offered enough scholarship money for my
first year of college. However, that wasn’t
enough. In order to fund the rest of my
undergraduate degree, I worked at companies
such as KFC and Bank of America, which offered
financial assistance programs to eligible
employees.
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always bled
purple & gold. The University of Washington was
not just the school in our backyard, it was my
dream school. I wanted to stay close to home
and my roots, and this was where I wanted to
be. With hard work and many sleepless nights, I
received a letter of acceptance to UW, and I
officially became a Husky!
During my first year at UW, I really sought out to
discover who I am and the career path I wanted
to follow. Navigating through the system was
challenging and I knew nothing about things like
internships, career fairs, or even the amazing
opportunities to learn about other cultures while
studying abroad.
These concepts were completely foreign to me
and at times I felt like a small fish in a big ocean.
Fortunately, in speaking with one of my
professors, he gave me the tools and guidance
on how to apply for an IT internship at
Weyerhaeuser, which was and still is one of the
largest wood product companies in the world.
OUR STORY (CONTINUED)As an IT intern at Weyerhaeuser, I was paired
up with a mentor named Joseph Peck. As my
mentor, Joseph saw my hunger to learn and
gave me opportunities that were challenging
yet manageable. He offered me career
guidance, support, and realized that I
possessed capabilities and untapped potential
far beyond my own understanding. He gave
me the autonomy to grow individually at such
an early stage in my career and became a
trusted confidant and career coach long after
most mentor / mentee relationships dissolved.
Joseph still remains a beacon in my life and is
one of the reasons why I want to continue to
expand my knowledge and experience in
technology.
My first job after graduating from UW was at
The Boeing Company. During my five years at
Boeing, I had six key mentors who afforded
me with great guidance which led to countless
opportunities and visibility. While at Boeing, I
returned to UW to pursue my Master of
Science degree in Information Systems. Upon
graduation, in 2013, Joseph Peck, my mentor
from Weyerhaeuser, reached out to me about
a new job opportunity with the
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in technology
consulting.
Without my mentor and the opportunity that
he has paved for me, I would not be here
today working as a Global Technology Program
and Product Manager. This position has been
and continues to be rewarding. It has helped
me grow in so many ways allowing me to
travel the world, collaborate, and build
relationships with people in various countries
such as India, Sweden, the U.K., Romania,
Czech Republic, China, France, Switzerland,
Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and South
Africa.
From my experience of being in this industry,
the one thing that has really stuck out to me is
that often times I am the only female at the
table. This led me to research overall female
representation within the STEM field and what
I’ve discovered is that women are grossly
underrepresented in key leadership and
managerial positions within the industry.
While I continue pursuing my career
development, one of the things that has
remained steadfast in my life are the amazing
mentors I’ve had along the way and through
this, Thriving Elements was born. My dream is
to create a program that replicates the quality
mentoring I received in my life and scale it to
as many underprivileged young women as
possible around the world. Sometimes it takes
just that one moment or that one person to
help someone see what they are capable of
and go beyond their potential.
Janet PhanFounder
&
Executive Director
Give back to your industry –Mentoring is an opportunity to help young professionals expand their education, develop their skill set and become better at their jobs. Not only does it help your industry (and perhaps your organization, should you mentor someone within it), but it can also make you feel good by helping someone else.
Learn new things –Mentor relationships are a great way to develop and improve the professional and personal lives of both parties. Every generation has their strengths and topics that they are experts in. For example, if you’re a [Generation X], perhaps taking on a [Millennials] mentee can help you to learn more about certain aspects of technology or social media.
Develop leadership and management skills –Becoming a mentor can help you tap into your leadership abilities. Learn how to oversee, guide and manage others, especially younger employees.
Build additional professional relationships –Although you probably have a variety of professional connections at this stage in your career, you will form a relationship with your mentee that is much deeper than with other acquaintances. In turn, not only can you help your mentee add new people to their network, but they can do the same for you.
BENEFITS OF BEING A MENTOR
THRIVING ELEMENTSMENTORING PROGRAMOne of the many areas we pride ourselves on is ensuring there’squality in everything we do. Our mission is to create access andopportunities for underprivileged girls in STEM and it is our hope that we can foster a sustainable and structured mentoring program that will bring our vision to life. Ultimately, our vision is to develop and empower women leaders in STEM to make a sustainable impact on their communities and inspire thenext generation of young women. We would love for you play a part in it.
AS A MENTOR, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO:Maintain regular contact with your mentee and develop a relationship
Set up expectations for how and when you’ll contact each other Meet with your mentee for a minimum of 1 hour each month during the first year of
mentorship Meeting may occur in person, in a public setting or via video conferencing Respond in a timely manner Maintain mentor relationship from high-school through college*
Guide your mentee through Thriving Elements mentoring curriculum which includes but is not limited to:
Introduction to Thriving Elements Quality Traits of Leaders Leaders Giving Back to the Community Importance of Goal Setting & Planning Part I Importance of Goal Setting & Planning Part II Importance of Taking Risks, Failures & Perseverance Social Media Awareness Why Women Matter in STEM
Ultimately, Be passionate about elevating young girls in STEM Be open minded, professional, and respectful Be a trusteed advisor to your mentee
MENTOR EXPECTATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS
*Thriving Elements’ goal is to create a sustainable and structured mentoring relationship taking into consideration work / life balance
AS A MENTOR, YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED TO: To know the answers to all of your mentee’s
questions (you’ll have a network of mentors to help).
Offer a job or an internship to your mentee
TO QUALIFY AS A MENTOR: Have a STEM undergraduate degree
(preferred) or STEM related experience (2+ years)
Mentor experience preferred but not required
Complete the application and undergo the interview process
THE ROLE OF THRIVING ELEMENTS
STEM jobs are growing 1.7 timesfaster than non-STEM careers...
BUT only 16% of high school seniorsare pursuing STEM career
Get girls interested with mentoring
Through our mentorship program you can
Build women leaders Engage girls in STEM
Reduce gender inequality in STEM
By April 23
Thriving Elements mentor application deadline
End of April
Applications will be reviewed by Thriving Elements
Early May
Notification of mentor selection
Early-Mid May
In-person interviews held (30-45 minutes)
Late May/EarlyJune
Final selection of mentors will be announced
August/September
Mentor Trainingand Speed Networking Event
Late August
Mentor / Mentee match announced
Mid September
Introduction to ThrivingElements with FHS staff, mentors, mentees, and mentees’ parents/guardian
MENTOR SELECTION PROCESS
NEXT STEP
Complete and submit your applicationby April 23, 2017
Join our team of passionate mentors!