CBA Record

Special Issue l THE NEWYLS

NEWYLS INITIATIVE GIVES STUDENTS JUMP-START ON THEIR CAREERS Suits for Success

By Helena L. Trachtenberg S uits for Success, a new YLS special project, debuted Saturday, Novem- ber 22, 2014. The project, which was near and dear to YLS Chair Paul Och- manek, Jr., was an ambitious undertaking that sought to provide students at Pilsen’s Cristo Rey Jesuit High School with a top- to-bottom “makeover” of their resumes, interviewing skills and wardrobes. The project targeted students in the school’s CorporateWork Study Programwho work one day per week in various professional settings including law firms, banks, and hospitals, to help offset the cost of tuition. As the Special Project Chair for Suits for Success, my intent was to empower these students, many of whom would soon be applying to college or post-secondary employment, with the tools necessary to succeed at these upcoming critical junc- tures in their lives. We helped by reviewing and revising their resumes, coaching them during a mock interview workshop to improve interviewing skills, and providing them with donated gently worn suits to wear at interviews. The first phase was the Resume Review, where, with the help of Cristo Rey Corpo- rateWork Study ProgramManager Nerissa J. Bona, YLS Chair Paul Ochmanek, and YLS Administrative Director Jennifer Bertolino, 15 volunteers provided feedback on approximately 125 student resumes between September and October 2014. This gave students ample time to review and incorporate the comments as they revised their resumes before the November mock interview. The second phase of the project was Suit Collection, where we aimed to col- lect 130 gently worn suits for Cristo Rey students. From August through Novem- ber, Paul Ochmanek, Jennifer Bertolino,

Young Lawyers assist Cristo Rey students with interview attire.

Project Officers Gabriela C. Sapia and Skip Harsch, Member Service Manager MatthewT. Jenkins, along with numerous other YLS members and volunteers, rallied our contacts and coworkers, spreading the word about Suits for Success and asking for donations of gently worn suits. We collected hundreds of suits for the event, far exceeding our initial goal. With the

help of Public Service Manager Brandon E. Peck, the suits were dry-cleaned for free through the generosity of Ray Rosenberg, owner of the Cleanery at 1526 Lee St. in Des Plaines. Our original plan of employing a small army of tailors to alter the suits didn’t come to fruition. However, we came across a true gem in designer Haj Gueye. Haj is

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