Apex for youth students put their networking skills to work during Spotify, JP Morgan Chase, and RSM office visits.
By Corianna Jackson
Apex for Youth’s Professional Development (PD) workshops are an important part of the Summer Career Exploration Program’s mission to show Asian American youth the wide breadth of career pathways available, and that “success” can be defined in many ways. Our job is to provide our youth with the resources and knowledge to make their own decisions about their future, and to remind them that there is power in “choice.”
This summer, we coordinated office visits, panels and PDs as a way to offer additional career exploration opportunities to interns outside of their worksite hours. We provided opportunities for interns to build community and transformative relationships with each other, network with professionals from across NYC, discover new fields of interest, and prepare them for future professional environments.
But, it’s also much more than that. It’s about breaking barriers, and shattering bamboo ceilings.
In 1978, Marilyn Loden coined the term “glass ceiling” to refer to the invisible barrier preventing career advancements for women, and that phrase has since gone on to encompass the invisible barriers facing many minorities and historically underrepresented groups in regards to race, socioeconomic status, and background.
Specifically, the term “bamboo ceilings” emerged in the early 2000s to describe the barriers facing Asian American and Pacific islanders in the workplace: microaggressions made to keep AAPI workers small, less career mobility, and expectations to fit “traditional” views of the model minority myth.
At Apex, we believe it’s important for our Asian American youth to see themselves reflected in professional spaces across many different fields and positions. We are so grateful to have a network of inspiring AAPI role models for our youth to look up to. We envision a world where our youth can reach their fullest potential, overcome barriers with community, and shatter those bamboo ceilings.
“It’s been great seeing our youth use the professional development skills they’ve built all year to network with leaders in their fields of interest, and feel a sense of belonging in professional spaces that they may hope to work in someday.”
– Marina Karnofsky, Career Exploration Program Manager
As part of our Summer Career Exploration Program that provides Apex high school and alumni with summer internships, our students attended 4 PD sessions: a Spotify office tour and panel at their New York City office; a panel and office tour at RSM, which empowers middle market companies worldwide; a career panel and credit building info session at JP Morgan Chase; and an Apex hosted session on how to build a LinkedIn profile.
Our students enjoyed touring each office space, and getting the chance to learn both professional and personal advice that will help prepare them for life after graduation. When asked to share reflections on the amazing panelists and facilitators who helped open doors for our youth, our students said they valued advice regarding “tackling imposter syndrome, anxiety, and growth mindset,” and “networking, communication, and time management.”
Opportunities for networking and PD extend into the school year as well. As a part of our year-round Career Exploration Program, we recently hosted a Career Connections Night featuring panelists from a variety of fields: Technology, Business, Culture, Arts & Entertainment, Non-Profits & Community Partners.
Thank you to Artists Ho Jae Kim and Julia Chiang; Actress, Liza Lapira; Co-Founder & Policy Director at Make Us Visible, Jeffrey Gu; Senior Program Coordinator at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Kristen Sze-Tu; Software Engineer at Torch Dental, Melody Zheng; Global Head of Marketplace Development at Media.Net, Terrence Moduthagam; Co-Founder and CEO of Material, Eunice Byun; and entrepreneur, Howard Chung.
Apex summer internships empower first-generation and low-income Asian American youth in New York City with career-launching opportunities.
Highlights from our annual Closing Days, Graduation and Scholarship Lunch, Volunteer Appreciation Boat Cruise, Mentoring projects, and so much more!
