The Young Women’s Alliance (YWA) wrapped up its tenth year of the YWA Connect Program on June 11, 2023. The program was launched in 2013 to help create mentorship with our members and our community. This year, we had 64 mentors, 71 mentees, and 72 pairings, which is a huge increase compared to the five matches we had in our first year, 2013.
Throughout the program, there have been a lot of events that help our mentors and mentees connect and help in their purpose for mentorship. There were six events specifically for YWA Connect participants, including workshops like Linkedin & Resume, Job Offer Negotiation Strategies, and Connect Close-out.
“The workshops have been great. Even as a mentor, I learned a ton in the resume workshop. I’m an Enneagram girlie, so obviously any chance to hear from Caroline [Crawford] is amazing. The event with UT was also fantastic, and I loved hearing from everyone on the panel.” — YWA mentor
We want to give a big shoutout to our speakers: Caroline Crawford, Brittany Adams, Luisa Nunez, Jacie Minnick, Shana Rehwald, and our close-out speaker, Dori Eversmann. Plus, we thank our panelists for the event with Graduate Women in Business at the University of Texas at Austin: Virginia Moore, Molly Latham, Alice Park, Connie Howe, Alyssa Rolfe, and Samantha Nowak.
Our participants learned so much throughout the program and gained relationships that will go beyond YWA Connect. The actionable items and advice mentors gave the mentees helped them in all aspects of their lives, including with professional development.
“My mentor has helped me in different business areas, from press outreach to ideas on creating digital products like webinars to create more income opportunities. I’m super happy with this experience, and I’m looking forward to the upcoming events.” — YWA member
Although this year’s program has come to an end, we’re continuing to grow and improve this program every year. So how can you get involved next year? For non-YWA members, you can join the program as a mentor. Applications will open in the fall. We look for women who want to help share their knowledge and experience with younger women who are looking to build themselves personally and professionally. We realize how important mentorship is, and if you would like to give back, please consider joining as a mentor next year!
What is the YWA Connect program?
“YWA Connect establishes female community leaders and professionals with YWA members to empower the next generation of women leaders through 1:1 mentoring.”
YWA Connect launched in 2013 with just five pairings. In the last 10 years, it has experienced tremendous growth and made approximately 90 pairings last year. We rely on referrals and community outreach to source established female mentors. In 2020, we partnered with Janice Omadeke, owner of The Mentor Method, to further enhance the program. This year, we implemented a rigorous matching process to create more meaningful mentorship matches.
Great job to the 2022-2023 Connect committee (left to right):
Rebecca Roberts Shelast, Avery Shackelford, Natalia Litoldo, Lillian Hartman, Casey Green
