~by Philip Barello FLY members recently shared their personal and professional experiences with the 9th grade students of New Haven Academy, a public magnet high school. These volunteers were postdocs, program coordinators, web producers, managers, and directors at Yale, representing Yale College Dean’s Office, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Development, Yale Young Global Scholars Program, ITS, School of Forestry, School of Management, and the School of Medicine.
One of our FLY volunteers was Alejandra Rodriguez, Web Producer in ITS, and also an alumna of New Haven Academy. She reflected: “After graduating from New Haven Academy in 2012, going back for Career Day was very special to me. Being able to go back and talk to young students made me feel like my experiences were valuable. I was able to share my journey with them, starting from my freshman year in high school until now, pointing out my biggest challenges such as the language barrier and building self-confidence. These were challenges that I was able to overcome with the help of my teachers and my own determination, challenges that I am still facing every day. I was also able to share with them the opportunities that New Haven Academy offered to me such as the college courses at Quinnipiac University and Gateway Community College, which were a big help for me in preparing for my college career. I also was able to speak about my journey at Yale and how I got my foot in the door, which was mostly through internships and building relationships with the Yale community. I hope I was able to motivate and inspire those students that are facing challenges such as a language barrier, or a lack of confidence in their own abilities. I’m glad I had this opportunity to go back and see my old teachers and principals, but I’m also proud that I was able to engage with and assist these students in achieving their professional goals.”
Rick Davis, Associate Director for Leadership Giving in the Office of Development, said participating in New Haven Academy Career Day was a “genuine pleasure”; being “randomly teamed up with some amazing presenters was a personal growth experience.” He continued, “My hope is that the students picked up on our unplanned common thread of themes: that connections are the keys, uncertainty is universal, adaptability can mean advancement, setbacks can be inspiring, and knowing the difference between experiences and experience. I know that we adults enjoyed hearing our shared issues regardless of industry or age! Our panel’s rock star was Alejandra: watching her tell the students her inspiring story and personal path from those very same NHA student seats (and even the same teacher) to standing in front of them today was just what the students needed to hear, and you could tell that she connected with them at a very profound and relatable level.”
During the November FLY Steering Committee meeting, Lynn Gabbard, New Haven Academy Internship Coordinator, and Alumni Support Coordinator Maysha Zekrevskyy, expressed their gratitude on behalf of the school. Maysha reminded us that “college satisfaction and persistence can be achieved through consistent support and mentorship, internship or shadowing opportunities, and building a network.” They also extended an invitation to all FLY members: consider hosting an 11th grade student for a day or up to 3 weeks of job shadowing.
If you are interested to host a student intern or participate in a future New Haven Academy Career Day, please contact NHAcademyAlumni@gmail.com, and tell them FLY sent you. If you have questions or suggestions for the FLY Professional Development Committee, please email flypdc@yale.edu.