Empowering Futures: Highlights from the 2025 Career Connections for Young Women Program, Sponsored by Ares Management
Author: Junior Achievement of Southwest New England
Work Readiness
Published:
Thursday, 08 May 2025
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Image caption: Kimolee Eryn engages with students at JA CCYW
Junior Achievement of Southwest New England’s Career Connections for Young Women (CCYW) program empowers young women with the skills, confidence, and experiences they need to thrive in the professional world. With the generous support of Ares Management, our 2025 program guided high school students through ten transformative weeks of career exploration, leadership development, and financial literacy lessons.
Built around JA’s impactful Career Success curriculum, CCYW offers high school students experiences that reach far beyond the traditional classroom. Each session combined real-world insights with hands-on learning to help students shape their personal and professional goals. From understanding their own leadership styles to crafting resumes, practicing interviews, and building a personal brand, participants were equipped with essential tools to prepare them for the workforce.
This year’s program highlights included:
- A keynote by Ngozi Nnaj, a seasoned insurance professional and entrepreneur, followed by a resume workshop with career insights from industry professionals.
- Vision board creation and personal branding workshops, complemented by a panel of leaders from Waste Management.
- A powerful session on conflict resolution in the workplace, led by JA Board Member Wendy Simoncelli and featuring a panel of professional women: Ashley Kalinauskas, Founder and CEO of Torigen; Tudy Miller-Fulton, Compliance Manager at Empower; and Megan Conklin, VP of Sales at IBM.
- A deep dive into job readiness skills, including mock interviews with professionals from The Hartford, Waste Management, and Adnet.
- An insightful presentation by Joanne Milord, a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Hartford Healthcare, on essential career skills like resume building, LinkedIn, and interview techniques.
- A career walk through West Hartford’ Blue Back Square, including an incredible visit to Ares Management’s office where students learned firsthand about roles within the company and the importance of mission-driven work. Waste Management and Delamar Hotel also hosted students during the career walk.
- A hands-on financial literacy workshop on credit and debt, led by Bank of America volunteers using the JA Personal Finance curriculum, where students asked thoughtful questions and deepened their understanding of managing money wisely.
- A leadership and identity workshop facilitated by Michelle Szynkowicz of Leadership Greater Hartford and Catalyst Consulting, where students explored personal growth and self-awareness in a professional context.
As part of the program, students also visited the University of Hartford for an inspiring day on campus. After a guided campus tour, students connected with university leaders, and gained valuable insight into college life and career pathways. One highlight of the visit was a powerful message from Aarti Ivanic, Dean of the Barney School of Business, who encouraged the young women to embrace leadership opportunities and pursue their professional goals with confidence and determination.
Throughout the ten week program, students worked on capstone projects that explored their career aspirations, researching key details about their chosen professions and the steps needed to pursue them. These projects allowed students to reflect on their interests, set goals, and envision their future paths. The program culminated with a finale event where students presented their career research in front of family, peers, and community members—showcasing weeks of hard work, exploration, and personal growth.
The program finale also featured a motivational speech by poet, artist, author, and entrepreneur Kimolee Eryn, whose story reinforced the importance of passion, resilience, and authenticity in career success.
This year, the CCYW program provided students with more than just career insights—it gave them the confidence, skills, and inspiration to envision and begin building their futures. From personal branding and leadership development to real-world career exploration and financial literacy, these young women walked away with tools they’ll carry for a lifetime. Their growth was evident in every session, culminating in thoughtful, professional presentations that showcased their ambition and hard work. Thanks to our Steering Committee and to Ares Management for championing this initiative and making it possible for young women to dream big and build the future they deserve.
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