We’re always grateful for the hundreds of individuals who volunteer as mentors for our students, but especially during #MentoringMonth. BUILD mentors are the backbone of our youth entrepreneurship program and work tirelessly to empower our young people to take control of their educations, careers, and lives. We could not do this important work without our mentors, so we were thrilled to be able to give special shout-outs on social media to a few (of many) inspiring BUILD mentors throughout the month of January. Enjoy this recap below. Special thank you to EY, for powering BUILD Boston’s mentoring program this year!
First up was Jim Madison, Partner at Foundation Management Associates who not only mentored Cendy Moliere throughout all four years of high school but has continued to mentor her through college and her career. Cendy followed in Jim’s footsteps when she enrolled and graduated from his alma mater, Bentley University. Take a look at their inspiring story below!
Next, we highlighted Heidy Castaneda, Senior IT Service Desk Engineer at GoTo who has been working with BUILD students to create businesses with a social justice mindset.
We asked Heidy, and all of our featured mentors, Why do you build?
As a Latinx, I want to be part of a movement that focuses on racial equality and innovation. I want to see more people of color in places of leadership and entrepreneurship. BUILD gives students the space to collaborate and create innovative solutions to our world problems. This is much bigger than a school project - they are creating tangible results and giving students the opportunity they deserve to be heard and supported through their career aspirations
One of my highlights has been working with students that create businesses with a social justice mindset. Their consideration for the planet and their community showcases the importance of tailoring business skills at a young age. They are redesigning the workforce and redefining what it means to be a CEO. I love witnessing their creative process of developing a personal brand and working as a team to create future businesses.
I signed up for BUILD to have an impact on a young person’s life, I’ve stayed with BUILD because I’m still learning what that means. Pulling from my own experience, college was my clear path out of the small town I was from and I was fortunate enough to have that as my lifeline throughout high school. But for me, college wasn’t as much about the classes as it was about the opportunity to build relationships and experience a world I hadn’t been part of. When I reflect on that experience and when I show up to BUILD, I see students who need this same opportunity but college may not be where they want to or can experience it.
My why for BUILD is not so much about a traditional mentor/mentee relationship, it’s about building strong relationships over time and through that relationship illuminating these students to paths they didn’t know existed, to realities they dont have models for, and helping them build relationships that can change the course of their lives — on their own terms, on their own timeline.
It’s not about being right and having students see my path or my perspective as “right”, it’s about giving them new information and alternate realities to consider. It’s about giving them a window into what they could be and helping them understand and explore it when they’re ready. More often, in the short term, this just means holding space for them and showing up every time to build the important, trusting relationships needed for students to allow you to meet them where they are.
Build has been one of the most life-giving and inspiring programs I’ve been a part of. There’s magic in hunkering down and riding the wave through some of the tougher moments and getting to the other side with these students. There’s this whole world of trust, appreciation, impact, and relationships that happens if you stick with it long enough and put enough trust and faith in the process. That is the real work. That’s where the magic really happens.
Finally, we finished the month with a feature from Ryan Atkinson, Growth Specialist at HubSpot who has always enjoyed volunteering and has a passion for entrepreneurship.
Volunteering and giving back has always been something I enjoyed. As someone that is very interested in entrepreneurship, BUILD was the perfect combination of giving back while doing something entrepreneurial. This opportunity has given me hands-on experience working with high school students as they start to think of ideas and build their businesses. These students are genuinely trying to bring their business idea to life. They put in the work and do their research, and throughout the year I've seen mentees grow more confident and assured of their businesses. That's been one of the most rewarding parts of BUIlD -- the opportunity to help students grow personally and entrepreneurial.
BUILD is a great opportunity for anyone to give back to their community in a meaningful way. Not only do you get to work closely with students, but you get to help them start a business that can make money! Through connecting with the teachers, students, and other mentors, you get to make meaningful relationships while seeing the students grow throughout the year. If you are wanting to make a difference while having fun, BUILD is the place to start.
We are so appreciative of our caring volunteers who guide, challenge, and connect with our students every day, and last month, we had an absolute blast celebrating them!
