Luminaries Career Coaching
This week, we would like to highlight a mentorship pair from Step Up Luminaries Career Coaching, a matched mentoring program in which mentees receive monthly career coaching from professional women. We sat down with Camille and Maryam a pair of participants to hear about their experience in the first session.
Luminaries Career Coaching offers free professional development to help young women and gender-expansive young adults between the ages of 18-23 jumpstart their careers. For three months, mentees receive monthly career coaching from assigned Step Up mentors who help them define what success looks like for them. We spoke with Camille Balsamo-Gillis who is coaching Maryam Elsayed as she navigates her career journey. We asked them what they thought of the program so far and how they have been enjoying their time with Step Up. We first connected with mentor Camille Balsamo-Gillis.
What does being a Step Up member and mentor mean to you?
I love the opportunity to meet and work with young women who are pursuing exciting, challenging and unique education and career paths and who are blazing new trails for themselves. They are so inspiring and give me the chance to think beyond my bubble!.
What drew you to Step Up initially?
I had been seeking volunteer organizations that would allow me to tutor students to help them with coursework or prepare them with college. Step Up’s college essay writing workshops gave me the opportunity to do that, but also to meet and network with amazing mentors.
Tell us about your Luminaries Career Coaching experience. What made you sign up to be a Coach?
During Covid, I missed working with the Step Up students at the weekend in-person events, so when I saw the opportunity to do a virtual program that had me working directly with a recent graduate, I jumped on it. I think the program is really thoroughly and thoughtfully designed, so any concerns I had about time commitment or expectations were completely assuaged after the initial orientation when everything was laid out in such a clear and manageable way.
What insight or knowledge has Luminaries Career Coaching brought to you so far, personally and/or professionally?
The questions and activities meant for the Luminary have encouraged me to examine the same issues for myself. It’s important to keep goals and progress in mind and not get bogged down by the details, but to see the big picture.
Would you recommend this experience to a friend? If so, why?!
I would definitely recommend the experience to a friend. With Covid upending our lives for the past two years, I think it’s important to be making new, meaningful connections with people who have different perspectives but ultimately very similar fundamental experiences – we all want to have impact, succeed and create lives we love!
Next, Step Up connected with Young Luminary, Maryam Elsayed.
What does being a Step Up participant mean to you?
Since I joined in high school, Step Up has always provided a community for me, whether that be girls I could grow with or mentors who showed me how important it was to dream. Being a part of Step Up has given me confidence and a reminder that I am capable of forging a unique path for myself.
What drew you to Step Up initially
I was drawn to Step Up in ninth grade because it was an empowering space that introduced me to professional women and exposed me to a multitude of career paths.
What made you sign up to be a Young Luminary?
I signed up to be a Young Luminary because I recently graduated college and I was faced with uncertainty about the future. I wanted to connect with someone from the Step Up network who had been in my shoes and gain a new perspective.
What insight or knowledge has Luminaries Career Coaching brought to you so far, personally and/or professionally?
Luminaries Career Coaching has allowed me to recognize the skills I have, hone in on my priorities for my career, and motivated me. It has also made me accountable and committed to the goals I set for myself in my personal and professional life.
Would you recommend the experience to a friend? If so, why?!
I would definitely recommend the Luminaries Career Coaching experience to a friend. As young women, we face challenges and deal with pressures that often leave us confused. Connecting with other women has given me the opportunity to gain insight into my interests and discover what is best for me.
