Ottawa young executives establish mentorship program for IVCC students

A mentor program that a group of young Ottawa executives plans to launch next week for Illinois Valley Community College students may be one of the first of its kind in the region.

“It is unique. There are not many mentorship programs in this area,” said Caitlyn Carrier, vice president of ONYX (Ottawa Network of Young Executives). Though mentor systems may exist internally for employees, she knows of none that extend to prospective or non-employees.

The program kicks off Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the IVCC Ottawa Center, 321 W. Main St. Registration is limited to 50 IVCC students and opens at 5:30 p.m. The program begins at 6 p.m. Catering is by B.A.S.H. ONYX leaders will open with a presentation, followed by comments from Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce Director Jay McCracken about the benefits of mentoring. ONYX is an extension of the Chamber.

ONYX leaders gauged interest in a mentor program during a visit to the College campus a few months ago, where they invited questions from students about careers. “Student feedback led to some valuable direction in creating the mentor program,” said ONYX President Anthony Williams.

The group intends to offer guidance, support and insight into career paths and help students build professional networks and create career goals and action plans.

Williams explained that mentorships are set to begin Jan. 1, 2025, for six months, or a college term. The professional and student both agree to a set of mentor ethics covering best practices and confidentiality. The partnerships can be renewed or re-established with a new team after the term expires.

Professionals can mentor more than one student at a time, depending on the extent of the mentorship – whether it includes job shadowing or merely consultation. As a bank manager who must maintain confidentiality, “I can’t do job shadowing, so for me it would be more about being a resource,” Williams said. “It also depends on the student, who might just have questions about what they should be looking for in a career.”

According to Williams, a handful of professionals and students have already expressed interest in the program. ONYX also hopes to match students’ interests with professionals in those fields, when possible.

Carrier said the group wants to reach out to the next generation of leaders.

“We want to make sure they are going where they would like to go in their careers, to have somebody to talk to and learn the ropes from and see what is right for them. We hope the experience will lead them to want to work in the field and stay in this area. Our main focus is helping to build their confidence,” Carrier said.

Williams said mentors can also learn from students. “They are the new workforce coming in. How can we help students develop in ways they didn’t know were possible?”

For more information about the organization of the mentor kickoff, visit https://onyxillinois.com/events.