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Adrian Gilbey and Aaron Rosa, the "2011 Mentor-Mentee of the Year" award winners, have wonderfully demonstrated how mentoring can be a valuable learning experience for both the mentor and the mentee. Adrian, Design Director for Anne Klein Dress and Aaron, a senior studying fashion design at Fashion Industries High School, were matched two and a half years ago. A London transplant, Adrian credits Aaron with teaching him about the complexities of being a teenager growing up in New York City, and for inspiring him to be the best role model possible. Aaron, whom Adrian describes as “a sponge ready to soak up the fashion business,” credits his mentor’s support and guidance on his design projects and schoolwork with helping him come into his own as a designer: “Knowing that [Adrian] is proud of how much I have progressed gives me confidence that I can make it in the industry.”
Their partnership illustrates how mentors and mentees can push each other to reach their full potential – in school, in work, and in life – and to discover and develop new talents, whether it is how to sketch a unique garment, or how to help a young person navigate a corporate work environment. Adrian and Aaron have also shared the fruits of their partnership by creating powerful real-world learning experiences for other mentors and mentees at Fashion Industries High School. In 2008, they launched an innovative “Fashion Career Conversations” series which features panel discussions co-hosted and moderated by Adrian and Aaron in the Anne Klein showroom. The panels are comprised of fashion industry professionals – from editors to buyers and merchandisers – who share their experiences and tips for success. The pair is eager to share their love for fashion and design with others, and as a result “the series has become one of the most anticipated annual traditions of the Adopt-a-Student [mentoring] program” according to Maureen McAllister, Fashion Industries High School’s Mentoring Coordinator.
Mentoring has been worth the effort for Adrian who states that “through this experience I have realized that I have a great deal to share with a young person – not just the skills of my job, but the simple things in life like the importance of a hand-written thank you.” And he can already see how his role as a mentor will help spark the next generation of mentors, noting that “with Aaron it is clear to see that today’s mentee will become tomorrow’s mentor.”
Aaron Rosa and Adrian Gilbey
To learn more about the New York City Mentoring Program and how you can make a difference in the lives of our city’s students, visit
www.nycmentoringprogram.org
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