Mentor workshop aimed at young women

Minute mentoring is coming to Valley Stream. In order to inspire young women to reach their full potential, a speed mentoring program will be held at Sip This on Saturday morning.

“It’s going to be sort of like speed dating,” said Marsha Guerrier, president of the Yva Jourdan Foundation, which is sponsoring the event.

Guerrier teamed up with Carline Folkes, co-author of “Miss University,” a book of tips for young women going through college, to bring the program to Valley Stream. Folkes created the minute mentoring program, which gives young women a chance to meet and learn from college students and working professionals.

There will be 20 young women taking part in the event. Folkes said that they will be split into two groups of 10. One group will sit through a college preparation workshop with Folkes, while the other group will meet with 10 mentors. The groups will then switch.

Each girl will get about a minute, maybe a little more, with each mentor. Guerrier said in that short time, the mentors should get to know a little about each young woman, while also sharing their path to success. Guerrier said she hopes it will be the beginning of some long-term relationships.

Ultimately, she wants the mentors to guide the young women as they make their college and career decisions. Guerrier said that they should be able to help the girls select the right school for their prospective career, set goals and show them “a little bit of the ropes.”

Folkes said that the professionals come from a variety of fields including human resources, health care, makeup artistry and event planning. She wants young women to know about the many options available to them, and how to become successful in those fields. “We want to empower young women to make wise decisions,” she said.

Breakfast starts at 9 a.m. with the program beginning at 9:30 a.m. David Sabatino, onwer of Sip This, said it is part of the business’s mission to open its doors for community events. “We think it’s a great idea for young women,” he said. “For us to host it here is just an added benefit.”

Guerrier, of North Valley Stream, said it is also part of her foundation’s mission to host events like minute mentoring in the community. If Saturday’s inaugural program is successful, Guerrier said she would like to continue it on a monthly basis for other girls. “It’s a bright idea,” she said. “It’s going to be great.”

To find out more, contact Guerrier at tyjf@mail.org.