My Mentors Taught Me to Be Career-Ready

Finding your first job after college can be like solving a puzzle. To succeed, you’ll need to gather the necessary information, connect the dots, and figure out the best way to reach your goal. As someone who developed an interest in business and finance during high school, I wish I had learned more about the different pieces needed to solve this puzzle earlier on. It was only after becoming a Goldberg Scholar during college that I gained a clearer vision and the necessary tools to pursue my career aspirations successfully.

Not all students go on to find mentors like I did. In a recent survey from MENTOR, a national nonprofit that advocates and provides resources for mentoring, Generation Z students reported having fewer mentors than older generations. Years of studies show that mentorship plays an instrumental role in the career progression of diverse talent, and I can attest to that firsthand. The Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program provided me with invaluable firsthand experience and insights from successful professionals who have traveled the path I hope to take. This has served as a compass that guides my decisions and points me in the right direction. Sheryl Sandberg, in particular, has had a lasting impact on my career. Having had the privilege of receiving career and life advice from someone as accomplished and kind as she is, has been an opportunity of a lifetime. Her example is a constant source of inspiration for me, and her advice has proven indispensable in my professional journey.

Read the full op-ed here.