Bridging the Gap: How Intergenerational Mentorship Changed My Career Path
Joining forces with The DeBruce Foundation, we’re embarking on a powerful storytelling initiative. The DeBruce Foundation, dedicated to expanding pathways to economic growth and opportunity, empowers individuals to discover their ideal career paths, and we’re excited to share these journeys.
Sydney Boyd graduated from the University of Missouri - Kansas City in December 2024, where she double majored in Political Science and French Language and Literature. Her passion for her community and addressing systemic barriers is what led her to work with The DeBruce Foundation as a Strategic Communications Intern from September 2024 to May 2025, while also being a member of DeBruce Career Corps. There she learned about the power of Networking Strength and Career Literacy through the research conducted by the Foundation, but could not have been as successful in creating connections without the mentorship there. “The team at The DeBruce Foundation showed that they were not only invested in developing me as their intern, but also as a young professional looking to continue my work in the nonprofit industry.”
Sydney found mentors in many forms during her internship, from her supervisor, coworkers, and even through leadership who invited her to events like Champions for Change where she had the opportunity to meet and hear Wendy Doyle speak. She has been able to find support and ecouragement from the women at The Foundation in times like employment searching and in everyday career development. Sydney even has real-world experience using the tools in The DeBruce Foundation’s Graduation Toolkit, like the Networking with Agilities resource.
The The Agile Work Profiler© is a free, 15-minute career assessment that helps you discover your top workforce strengths—your “Agilities.” By answering questions about what you enjoy and excel at, you’ll gain insight into the skills and interests that drive your career potential. Take the Assessment.
Mentorship comes in many forms and Sydney is fortunate to have family and friends who invested early in her professional development. “My first mentor was my mom and she still is. She is always the first person I call when I need advice while on the job hunt or before networking events.” She is passionate about supporting working women and expanding inclusive opportunities for everyone in the workplace. Without the guidance from her mentors over the years, Sydney would have struggled to communicate how her interests, passions, and skills prove her loyal in supporting mission-driven organizations.
Navigating the professional world alone can be a barrier in some ways for young adults; learning from other people’s experiences helps to better prepare for what to expect. You need connections and guidance; mentorship is a crucial aspect of developing as a young professional. It provides advantages in job coaching, support during application processes, and someone to keep you accountable. Sydney is grateful for the women in her life who have developed her into the leader she is today and plans to share that investment with other women in her life and those she will work with in the future.
