Valiere, a TD Ameritrade professional, and Megan, a senior at Byron Nelson High School in Texas, (pictured above) recently shared with us the impact their Rock The Street, Wall Street mentor-protege relationship has had on their personal and professional lives. Listen in on what makes this pair a dynamic duo:

Rock The Street, Wall Street prepares high school girls for college and careers by offering mentoring and job shadowing to our students in the spring semester. Connecting with a female financial professional in a one-to-one mentor/protege relationship helps develop the future female finance professional pipeline. Equally important, it gives girls an opportunity to see financial professionals at work in this field where females and minorities are underrepresented. This is critical as women in STEM aren’t depicted in popular culture from which girls at this age are predominately influenced.

RTSWS Mentoring and Job Shadowing Helps Girls:

• Set career goals and take the steps to realize them.
• Expand their personal contacts industry professionals, find internships, and locate possible finance jobs.
• Identify resources and organizations they may not be familiar with.
• Understand the skills needed for seeking a finance job, interviewing for a finance job, and keeping a finance job.

Why is this important?

One in three young people surveyed in The Mentoring Effect (2014) did not have a mentor while they were growing up. Applying their experiences to the U.S. Census demographics for 8 to 18 year olds, it is projected that 16 million young people, including 9 million at-risk young people, will reach adulthood without connecting with a mentor of any kind. It doesn’t have to be this way; contact us to make a difference today.

“When you get where you’re going, don’t forget to turn back around. Help the next one in line. Always stay humble and kind.” –Tim McGraw