Molly Ridley learned about Student Sponsor Partners through her own mentor at Goldman Sachs, a long-time supporter of our programs. She was passionate about mentorship in high school and in college and had been seeking the opportunity to mentor since starting her career. She decided to sign up as a mentor with SSP. Currently Vice President in the Asset Management Division at Goldman Sachs, she is happy to share the SSP mentorship experience with many of her peers who are mentors and sponsors themselves.
Molly chose to mentor with SSP because of the pivotal age of mentees in our programs. When she was 14, she experienced her “first and most powerful mentor.” She notes that at such a young age one's work ethic can be influenced in ways that ultimately pay off for a much better life. Molly says, “I had someone to motivate me and show me what could happen if I worked hard.”
Her mentor was one of her first music instructors. He saw her play piano and began giving her gentle guidance, such as recommending she try jazz, and that's where she found her true musical passion. She says that starting around that age, she began practicing piano for five or six hours daily, and when she started to see the results in that effort, she learned that if she applied herself in any discipline, she could excel at anything. Molly hopes to pass this wisdom on to her own mentee.
Molly is now mentor to Jenali, a freshman at Monsignor Scanlan High School. Her favorite memory of them together is their trip to the Color Museum in New York. Jenali mentioned she wanted to go to the museum, and having an aptitude for creativity and abstract art, Molly excitedly planned the outing. Molly says about her mentee, “she’s very into step and English class. I think she has a very creative mind.” Other than their shared creativity, Molly finds it vital to take advantage of any chance she gets to expand on Jenali's opportunities. By having the experience with her own mentor, Molly learned that one of the greatest gifts someone can give another person is showing them opportunities they didn’t know existed.
Questions we find helpful to ask ourselves as dedicated mentors are: What are our goals? How can we be the best mentors we can be? Molly says her goal is to have a relationship with Jenali where she can look to Molly whenever she needs advice or wants to vent, and ultimately, that she feels comfortable to rely on her. “I just want to be there for her,” Molly says. “I’m willing to build that trust to get to that comfort.”
We're always looking for mentors to support our students, so if you or someone you know is interested, click here to learn more about becoming a mentor and get started.
