One upside, though, was that Perez was able to get some of her colleagues to drop in on Zooms for mock interviews with Jessica. “I wanted to push Jessica out of her comfort zone and help build her confidence,” she says, noting it gave her mentee the chance to ask those other execs — some of whom attended colleges she was applying to — questions about their career journeys.
The exercises also helped instill Jessica with more confidence at school. “In AP government, I was very shy, but thanks to Jeannette, I learned to speak up for myself when I disagreed with someone or when I just wanted to make my voice heard,” says the senior at Amino Watts Charter High School. Since she was a junior during the mentorship, much of Perez’s time was spent helping her with her college application.
The work paid off, too. Jessica is headed to UCLA in the fall to study political science, with hopes of becoming a civil rights and immigration lawyer. And it turns out her meetings with Hollywood executives had some impact on her plans: She wants to minor in film, television and digital media even if that doesn’t ultimately land her in the entertainment business. “It’s just an interest that I want to explore more,” she says.
Though the pair’s formal mentorship concluded in December of last year, they decided to keep up monthly Zoom check-ins as Jessica gets ready to transition to college.
Kudos to these Young Girls.