I have had the pleasure of mentoring Todd Bouchard since the beginning of March 2020. Since our first connection, Todd has put his trust in me to give him advice on life and on his career. We have had productive discussions where I advised him on which path to take as he prepared to begin his career in Sales. Todd has always been very receptive and appreciative of my advice.

We have also connected on a personal level, sharing our interest in sports and discussing the latest news with each other. Todd cares deeply for his family and his girlfriend and we have been able to share our personal experiences during the last few months of dealing with being quarantined and how that has impacted our lives.

I look forward to continuing my relationship with Todd as he ventures into his new career in Sales. I will be there for him should he need additional advice or if he has questions about any aspect of transitioning from the military to the business world.

Mentor: Martin Montatlo, Pearl River, New York, MLB

Eric and I began working together on his direction and goals in early 2020, mid-way through his Sophomore year at Columbia University. He impressed me right from the start and throughout our time together he has been hungry for information, advice and input. He is an extremely driven young man who not only strives to achieve but exceeds his professional goals. He was extremely focused on obtaining an internship for the summer of 2020 which, given the current environment, was more challenging and competitive than ever. He did just that and is now working remotely for Guggenheim Partners in New York City. Not only that, but Eric has also already secured an Investment Banking internship for Summer 2021. His communication with me as his mentor has been proactive, engaged and consistent. He is articulate, driven and puts in the hard work and preparation that is critical to professional success.

Eric and I have spent much of our time together focused on his interviews, how to get the most out of his internship and also how to relate and develop lasting professional relationships in a remote environment. He has also proactively identified some professional skills he would like to improve upon and has taken it upon himself to take related online courses. This awareness that we each can and should always be learning speaks to his maturity. 

I am confident Eric will succeed with his education and his professional pursuits thereafter, whatever path he chooses to pursue for his future.

Mentor: Jeffrey Embree, New York, New York, Morgan Stanley

I have been mentoring Josh Gillen for the past 9 months, and it has been a great experience. He actually started his preparation for retirement from the Army a couple of years before it was official. As someone working in corporate project management, it is a pleasure to listen to Josh strategizing his technical job-hunting tactics(networking, resume-polishing), along with seeking to adapt proactively to the language differences and similarities between military service and corporate America.

He came into the mentorship well-prepared, having done a lot of his own research on transitioning and what he wanted to do in his next chapter. Josh couldn’t have known his retirement from the military would coincide with COVID-19’s impact on corporate America. His speed in adaptation to the new environment is a testament to his leadership training and personal strength.

I am extremely confident Josh will find tremendous success in his future career. His discipline, commitment and work ethic have made this mentorship very rewarding. I look forward to staying in touch as a friend and colleague.

Mentor: Christy Eberle, Atlanta, Georgia, Coca-Cola

When I met Jared, he was already so focused and energetic about making his transition to the civilian world that I was thinking, “How can I help this guy? He’s got it all figured out!” Turns out that I was the lucky one in this situation and my job as mentor was fairly easy. Jared dove headlong into topics like, what kind of negotiation tactics are acceptable when considering salary and comparing the USMC command structure, one he was comfortable with, to that of Lockheed (his new employer). And now we’ve moved into more difficult questions like, where and how far do I want my second career to take me? I supported by asking questions to drive clarity in what he is already going after.

Words that are descriptive of Jared include: smart, driven, thoughtful, sincere, and professional. Jared continues to show his capabilities to succeed at every step along the way. He is leveraging tools and methods learned and developed during his military career to great advantage in his current career and will certainly prove a tremendous asset to Lockheed.

He demonstrates how superb people, built by our military, provide such excellent human capital to continue to expand our countries capabilities. 

Mentor: Edward Olson, Milan, Illinois, John Deere

I'd like to nominate Paula Canter for this month's veteran Protégé Spotlight. Paula is an extremely bright, committed and engaged protege whether we are discussing her career aspirations or just the passion of how she lives her life. She exudes passion and lives life to the fullest to create the life that she wants to live with all the challenges and opportunities that come with it. Paula has endless energy and has embraced the mentoring program from all fronts. She is consistent with staying in touch to ensure that she is driving the program. Paula has even found a way to meet me in person (given all of our sessions have been by phone or FaceTime) however she wanted to meet and she found a way to do that .....socially distanced and with a mask. That's but one example of the way she commits and engages. Paula has taken advantage of this program to the fullest and I am so grateful she is my protege. I am certain that we are now connected for life. We would have it no other way.

Mentor: Judith Schrecker, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ATI Metals

Jamesetta Palmer has strived to get the most out of our mentorship throughout the entire program. She has been extremely receptive to different ideas and resources I have given her. She took the opportunity to use my experiences in her coursework as she finished her bachelor’s degree. We have been able to role play different scenarios for her in searching for positions, updating resumes and preparing for interviews.

When I informed her of a nationwide virtual career fair through RecruitMilitary she made it a point to register and attend the fair and seek out businesses and opportunities in her local area. I feel that Jamesetta and I will continue to work together even after our year is over. I’m very excited to see what company is lucky enough to hire her as a human resources team member.

Mentor: Blair Ciccocioppo, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Select Medical

I have had the privilege to work with Steve Hauck, he has been a very ambitious and driven protégé. His commitment to our partnership and the ACP program has been stellar. Steve and I have been working together for four months and have developed a strong relationship in a short-time. Steve has always been transparent and open about his goals and ambitions.  I have been impressed as Steve never solely relied on our partnership as his primary source of guidance but has rallied around multiple resources during his transition to the civilian market place, pursuing all value added resources with a willingness to learn and adapt as he progressed on his journey. We have been disciplined in our monthly Video conferences while also exchanging communication between our meetings via text messaging and public dialogue on LinkedIn. Steve’s hard-charging attitude has helped him to begin an internship with great potential to achieve a competitive salary in the civilian market place.  Our mentorship has developed into a friendship and I am looking forward to seeing his successfulness in the civilian job-market.

Mentor: Jason Adams, Metamora, Michigan, General Motors

Zach and I began working together on his ambitions in early 2019. Zach impressed me even in the first session we had. He was articulate, knew his strengths and was looking for guidance on where to invest his energy. His focus was on data science and project management. 

Zach and I spent several months meeting and planning a set of strategies and milestones by which he could become as marketable as possible. Zach took courses, went on to get several certifications and also was networking all the while. He worked quite hard on the coursework and asked for advice whenever he needed it.

The rewards of hard work, dedication and commitment that Zach put in resulted in multiple job offers. Zach then had the ability to choose the most ideal role he preferred. 

I have no doubt in my mind that Zach will do well for himself in the long run and I wish him the very best for his future. 

Mentor: Madhav Madaboosi, Chicago, Illinois, BP

I began working with Tim in early 2019 and was immediately impressed by his drive, initiative, and determination. He was able to clearly articulate his focus on obtaining a job in Information Security and learning more about continuing education. To achieve these goals, we meet regularly and discuss different topics such as writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing, negotiating salary, etc. Through it all Tim has been proactive and very engaged and does not hesitate to reach out between those meetings when he has questions. He asks excellent questions and does not hesitate to implement the strategies we discuss.

I’m happy to say that not only has Tim found a position in Information Security, but he has already been promoted! I am excited to continue working with Tim throughout the rest of his internship, and beyond. I know he has a very bright future in front of him.

Mentor: Stephanie Randall, Charlotte, North Carolina, Wells Fargo