Mentoring The Next Generation Of Women Leaders

Recently, Soledad O'Brien was formally recognized for her passionate work by the state of New York. At the 2018 PowHERful Summit, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins presented O’Brien proclaiming July 14 as the annual PowHERful day in New York. PowHERful is O’Brien’s education-focused foundation that works to get girls in and through college.

A large number of the PowHERful scholars are first-generation college-bound students from desperate poverty. But O’Brien points out, “Your family can be middle class and you still not have any money, especially if you have kids you’re trying to put through college. Some girls just really need mentoring.” She relates the story of a young woman whose mother was killed in the Newton School shooting and her father had brain cancer. “He reached out to me and basically said, there are people in our community who will pay for my daughter’s education but I really need her to be mentored. So we made sure she was connected to the right people and opportunities.”

 

The PowHERful Foundation connects with young women at the collegiate and internship stage before their real professional lives begin. Yet the reality is you can provide all the opportunities in the world for people but it doesn’t mean they will succeed in their pursuits, especially if they are not used to understanding how certain systems work. I wondered aloud about this with O’Brien. She says she encourages soft skills, and the central message she gives young women is that success is really up to you as an individual. It doesn’t mean one has to do it by oneself but she teaches the girls that ultimately they are responsible for their success. She believes that today’s generation of young women need a lot of the same skills that previous generations have needed.

SOURCE: Here's How Soledad O'Brien Is Mentoring The Next Generation Of Women Leaders - via Essence

Mentoring Peace Makers

Photo: Todd Plitt  via usatoday.com

Award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien discussed "mentoring peace makers" along with esteemed actress Cicely Tyson at the annual Destiny Awards on February 22 at St. Philip's School & Community Center in Dallas.

Soledad O'Brien on Mentoring

Soledad O’Brien has mentored young women throughout her years in journalism. Now, through her scholarships and her Starfish Foundation, she is able to reach even more aspiring journalists across the country. She is especially focused on empowering Black and Latino youth to continue their education whether that includes journalism or not.

"When I was in my very first job in TV news, it didn’t even occur to me to get a mentor. I was 21. I was constantly busy and living in the moment. And, like a lot of people, I thought of it as a formal, stuffy relationship with someone at work.

But very quickly, my boss stepped up to be my mentor. She made me start thinking about my long term goals. She made me look at my job as a career, even a calling. It worked. I began working, not to fulfill the demands of the day, but for the long haul. I didn’t just want to intern at a local TV station, make some extra money and fulfill my curiosity about the profession. I wanted to become a journalist and I had a plan as to how to get there."

O'Brien believes that we need to change how people think about different types of mentorships. "There are so many different ways to be mentored. Mentors can be there just to help you through a moment. I’ve had mentors who jumped in for a season to support and guide me. You might just need to pick someone’s brain, or you might have a relationship with someone that lasts for decades."

Some of her advice about mentoring:

• The next time you need help with something, find the person who’s doing what you want to do. 
• Have a diverse range of people who can advise you on different aspects of your life. 
• Surround yourself with people who tell you that you can, not people who tell you that you can’t, or that you shouldn’t. Seek out those people and make them your mentor. Period.

Source: motto.time.com