When picturing young and emerging professionals in the workplace, college interns and recent college graduates are typically the first things that come to mind. However, there is a large demographic of young talent that is not often considered — high school students. One of the leaders championing high school talent at The Heritage Group is Workforce Planning and Talent Development Partner, Andy Cassler.
As part of the Early-In-Career Talent Team, Andy oversees The Heritage Group’s high school programs, including the Pillars of Potential summer program and a work-study partnership with Providence Cristo Rey High School. These programs offer students from local high schools the opportunity to receive meaningful mentorship and career exposure with THG’s portfolio of companies.
To Andy, mentoring emerging professionals is just a part of his day-to-day life. Prior to joining THG, Andy worked with college students as a Career Advisor at Butler University. He also worked with students as a middle and high school English teacher. His background in fostering youth development ties perfectly to his role at THG. “Working with young and emerging talent has been the cornerstone of my career journey so far,” Andy said. “This role was a perfect next step in my career.” Since joining the team in August 2023, Andy received his Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification for his creation and execution of the Pillars of Potential program as well as an award from Providence Cristo Rey High School recognizing his efforts in going above and beyond in supporting their students.
While mentoring high school students may be a different experience than working with seasoned professionals, Andy emphasized how vital the connection is in growing the next generation of professionals. “It’s difficult for a young person who has never worked before to understand what it means to engage in productive work disconnected from academic grades,” Andy said. “Mentorship in a work context shows students the value in developing both personal and professional skills that go beyond classroom learning to the real world.”
Mentoring high school students requires a specific skill set and intentional planning. However, with proper preparation and the right mentor, these relationships have the potential to further a student’s personal and professional development. To guide this process, Andy provided some tips on how to best lead emerging professionals.
Practice patience and empathy
“Working with high school students requires more understanding and patience because most students at this age have never worked before. They are just starting to learn the skills and competencies expected in a work environment. These are proficiencies that most of us take for granted but that young people need to be taught.”
Support students when they fail and succeed
“There must be space for failure. Rather than thinking something must be done perfectly the first time, or even every time, mentors should help students grow in their immunity to failure: How will they respond when mistakes are made? Will they choose defeat or resiliency as their reaction to failure? Good mentors know when to step in to correct mistakes so future attempts aren’t persistently thwarted by inaccuracy. When mentors can guide students to work in the freedom of imperfection, their fear of failing will subside.”
Grow students’ networks
“Mentoring high school students looks like making new connections across departments, disciplines and companies for young people to gain an understanding of collaboration. This is especially relevant with our value of building long-term relationships and mutual trust. When mentors show the importance of partnering and communicating well with others, high school students will begin to see connections in familiar places within their own contexts in a new light.”
Show interest in students’ professional and personal goals
“Developing a great relationship with their mentee is the first step to ensuring students receive both practical and aspirational advice. If the student believes that their mentor is indifferent to their success and well-being, then no advice will ever matter. Additionally, when mentors are transparent about previous challenges or mistakes, then their advice makes a greater impact.”
Focusing on the future, The Heritage Group strives to invest in young talent. Mentorship provides lasting benefits to the student, the mentor and the company. “Investing in young and early-in-career talent is vital to a company’s present and future success,” Andy said. “More people should consider engaging with young talent in the workplace.”
To learn more about THG’s commitment to early and career talent, visit https://thgrp.com/young-professionals/