High-achieving Year 11 students in Cayman are being given the chance to gain crucial life skills with this year’s launch of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce flagship youth development initiative, Mentoring Cayman.
The programme, now in its 23rd year, makes the beginning of a six-month journey for promising students who have been partnered with mentors from government and the local business community to learn about career opportunities and broaden their expectations in all walks of life.
Launch event
Established in 2002 in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, Mentoring Cayman has brought together more than 1,000 students and mentors over the years. This year’s programme was officially launched at an opening reception held on Tuesday, 25 Nov., at the Intergenerational Hub community centre in George Town and marked the starting point in relationships which could potentially shape futures and bring new opportunities.
Each cycle runs for six months and includes regular one-on-one meetings between mentor and mentee, as well as activities and workplace visits, where mentees shadow their mentors in a professional setting to learn about workplace culture and career possibilities.
Students are nominated by their school principals, while mentors, who are all volunteers, are selected based on shared interests and a commitment to guiding Cayman’s next generation of leaders.
“We have so many great mentors who come back year after year,” said Christopher Tobutt from the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not just about providing workplace opportunities, it’s about helping young people broaden their horizons, get support with making decisions about their life, and to give them the chance to talk things over with experienced business people.”
Transformative
Tuesday’s reception provided the first opportunity for mentors and mentees to meet and begin building connections that will shape the months ahead. Chamber of Commerce President Omari Corbin thanked the mentors for generously giving their time and commitment to the programme which, he said, had a transformative impact on Cayman’s youth and the wider economic future of the islands.
“As president of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, I am proud of what Mentoring Cayman has accomplished over the years,” he said, “but even more, I am enthusiastic and optimistic about where it is headed. Each year, we see the programme grow, in participation, in impact and in community support.”
Mentor Sefani Busby-Thornhill, who works in financial services, was paired with student Imari-Lee Ramoon and looked back on her own time in the programme.
“I remember how impactful it was for me to have a mentor at this age,” she said. “I joined the mentorship programme [as a mentor] so I could give back and help a young person chart their path forward.”
Said Ramoon, “I’m really looking forward to an opportunity to learn from someone and gain experience in the working world.”
Opportunities
Real estate broker and mentor Roger Southam said, “The mentoring programme is an amazing and wonderful opportunity to learn and grow and develop, and I get as much out of it as the students do.”
His mentee, Summer McLaughlin, said that the programme “will broaden my horizons and unlock amazing opportunities.”
Manuel Thomaz, general manager of Cayman Water, has been a mentor for several years in a row and this year is mentoring 15-year-old Garrison French who is interested in engineering.
“I love being with students and sharing my professional experience with them and helping them navigate the difficult choices they have to make,” said Thomaz.
Over the next six months, mentors and mentees will participate in structured activities designed to inspire, challenge and prepare students for success.
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