Mentorship consistently emerges as a popular response from both youth and adults when questioned about their favorite aspect of Kollab Youth. For individuals aged 16 and older, there is the opportunity to be matched with a mentor (industry leader) from Kollab Youth. These mentors possess a well-established connection with Kollab Youth, whether as board members, staff members of Kollab Youth partners, or through other affiliations.
Andreas Frischhut is a client executive at Cisco and has a powerful testament to how his introduction to Mary Hewitt has grown to 10 Cisco team members becoming Kollab Youth mentors.
“It is very fulfilling to see the difference you can make one-on-one with a teen,” Frischhut said about his time as a mentor. “Mentorship is a crucial component to the Kollab experience. It allows teens to practice self-reflection as they assess what they want to do and what is important.”
Born in a small town in Austria and having worked throughout Europe before moving to the United States, Frischhut has a unique perspective on Kollab Youth’s global impact. He talked a lot about the power of taking risks and how he hopes his story inspires teens that “the sky is the limit.”
After serving as a mentor many times, he made it his mission to get more people from the Cisco team involved. There are now 10 Cisco employees serving as mentors to Kollab Youth teens. Beyond his personal connection to the program as the lead Cisco contact and as a mentor, Frischhut is also quick to compliment Kollab Youth for other reasons.
“Kollab Youth is the most comprehensive, advanced, and professional nonprofit I have worked with,” the passionate mentor stated. He also feels that level of professionalism runs through the subject matter of what the teens learn. “One of the most important things youths learn in Kollab is how to interact with professionals. Without this experience, the first time these teens talk with a professional could be during a job interview.”
As someone who manages a large team, Frischhut also says these skills on professionalism are what will make Kollab Youth teens desirable employees one day. Mentors and staff help prepare teens for real-life scenarios in the workforce. Furthermore, he feels that Kollab Youth is offering teens resources and knowledge that they can leverage in many ways in the future.
“Andreas and the other contacts at Cisco have made a huge impact on our youth,” Mary Hewitt, Kollab Youth CEO shared. “We pride ourselves on the benefits of our mentorship program. It is amazing to see that it not only has a profound impact on the teens, but on the mentors as well. Our partnership with Cisco through engagement, Master Classes, certifications, mentors and has brought so many resources and excitement to our youth.”
Frischhut’s story also highlights the positive impact that networking has on Kollab Youth. For people already involved in the organization, please know that any positive conversation or introduction you make on our behalf can make a big difference.
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