Why You Should Join a Young Women's Mentoring Program

Former 1890s House Representative John C. Crosby was on to something when he said, "Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction." Mentor programs offer safe, engaging, and insightful connections that allow you to learn and grow from a supportive mentor with similar life or career goals.

Attending an all-girls school like St. Agnes in Houston offers incredible resources, including a fast track into their alumnae network of mentors. Read more below about why you should join a young women's mentoring program today.

Mentors wear various hats, including life coaches, career counselors, or even pseudo-therapists. Discover three different areas of advice you may encounter once paired with a mentor.

Mentors and mentees can often be matched based on the mentees' ideal career path and the mentor's existing career. Mentees can tap into the knowledge and experience of their mentor to help further understand career options.

Entering into a mentorship gives you behind-the-scenes access and exposure to careers you may be interested in pursuing. Mentors are available to answer questions no matter how trivial or in-depth they may be. Questions include the path your specific mentor took to get her to the role she is in today.

Mentors are deeply committed to supporting their mentee even if that means their mentee does not pursue her same career path! The foundation of a mentee-mentor relationship can open many other doors, including mentorships, internships, and shadowing opportunities.

A mentor does not need to serve solely as a career counselor. One benefit of having an adult mentor is another brain to pick when dealing with daily ups and downs.

Talk to your mentor about how they learned to manage money, live independently, juggle a work-life balance, and much more. Mentors realize they are present to help with social-emotional learning and career and educational nurturing with an additional focus on their mentee's confidence and self-esteem.

A mentor is a non-judgmental party to ask questions you may not feel comfortable asking your parents or college counselors, such as "How do I buy a car?" or "How exactly do student loans work?"

Most mentorship programs offer resources to the mentors should they need to outsource some of the advice provided, like professional counseling or more tactical career advice.

There are incredible resources available for those in various types of situations. If you need support from someone who has suffered similar trauma, such as the loss of a parent, friend, or sibling, or specific medical diagnosis, many grief groups also offer one-on-one mentoring from someone who has been through a similar situation.

Like all mentors, these can also help serve as a resource during high school and well into college and post-graduate years. The blessings of a well-matched mentor and mentee include a lifelong friendship that will be with you far into adulthood. 

The St. Agnes alumnae network spans many continents and decades, providing our students with some of the best networking opportunities, including a newly developed Mentorship Program.

Generated by the St. Agnes Academy Alumnae Board and in close conjunction with the St. Agnes College Counseling Department, the St. Agnes Academy Alumnae Mentorship Program (SAA-AMP) is designed to connect students and alumnae with similar career or industry interests to help students look ahead at things that were helpful to their possible career track in college and outside activities. 

Do you want to be a part of the St. Agnes alumnae network? Are you interested in joining a young women's mentoring program? Apply to St. Agnes today and get closer to the incredible alumnae network!

Contact our Director of Alumnae Relations, Lori Pinter, for more information on what the alumnae network offers.