Expert Panel Gives Career Advice to G/T Mentorship Students
Fort Bend ISD’s High School Gifted and Talented (G/T) Mentorship Program hosted a professional panel in November to give G/T Mentorship students an opportunity to hone their communication skills and receive expert advice from area professionals regarding continuing education, preparing for the workforce and other topics.
The 2011-2012 G/T Mentorship Class includes high school students Shibly Abughazaleh, Neerja Aggarwal, Felicia Chiao, Stephanie Hamborsky, Meghan Kamath, Christopher Jordan, Arjun Merchant, Avani Patel, Jay Shah, Mosum Shah, and Aditya Srivatsan.
Among the panel guests were: Dr. Agusto Rodriguez, Rice University’s Department of Kinesiology Sports Medicine; Dr. John Novak, Curtice Commercial Real Estate; Pat Pollicoff, City of Sugar Land Public Communications Director; Robert Janssen, Jr., Vice President, Planned Community Developers, Sugar Land; John Healey, Fort Bend County District Attorney; Carlos Camacho, Vice President, Jacobs Consultancy; and Jim Beck Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Hermann Hospital-Sugar Land.
The professionals spoke about their educational backgrounds, career paths and current professions. They also offered students advice on preparing resumes, college courses and advanced degrees, pursuing career paths, and seeking mentors.
John Healy, Fort Bend County District Attorney, advised students to consider close relatives as mentors. “ As you go through life, you’ll realize that parents and close family members have been the closest thing to being a mentor in teaching you life lessons,” he said. “It’s not unwise to think of relatives as mentors.”
Jim Beck Brown, Chief Executive Officer at Memorial Hermann Hospital-Sugar Land, commended the G/T Mentorship Program facilitators on hosting the panel and spoke highly of the students’ knowledge and skills.
“I am amazed at the focus and degree of ability presented among the students here,” said Brown. “You are blessed to be a part of this program and I’m sure you’ll go far in school and in your chosen careers.”
FBISD’s High School G/T Mentorship Program is headed by Jeannette Spain, Director of Gifted/Talented and Academy Programs; Crystal Wilson, G/T Coordinator; and Naomi Brown, GT Mentorship Instructor.
