Three Lehigh Valley women offer advice through mentorships

Mentorship can be a powerful tool, especially for high school girls looking toward career paths. 

So say three Lehigh Valley women who took time recently to work with three Girl Scouts involved in the Take the Lead leadership program they have been preparing for since joining the group. 

“Girls need role models other than their mothers or aunts to identify what they want to do, especially in fields that are not traditionally for women, like STEM fields,” said AnnMarie Vigilante, principal/vice president, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., Bethlehem. 

Vigilante, along with Lehigh Valley’s Sheila Berg, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force and national chair for Women Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, and Dr. Rajika Reed, vice president of Community Health, St. Luke’s University Health Network, spent a day with a mentee showing them, not only their businesses, but the broad scope of opportunities within the fields the girls are interested in. 

The dynamics of a post-COVID world are creating new challenges for women today and are expanding the barriers that already exist, Vigilante said. “Mentors are needed now more than ever to help guide young women through the new and unprecedented challenges they confront.” 

“Mentorships allow the girls to speak to someone about their goals and how to achieve them,” Berg said. It’s a great resource to show them how to process their thoughts and move forward with their goals, she said. 

“Leadership through mentoring and role modeling is most effective and allows for lifelong friendships,” said Reed in a written statement. “Teaching and skill building for our next generation is how we can give back to our communities. It creates a domino effect that can be sustainable and important for women to carry forth.” 

Vigilante said mentorships show “the sky is the limit.” 

“This gives them the confidence to face challenges,” she said. “They can understand and utilize information to make better choices. You have to see it to be it” 

Berg, who is working with a high school junior interested in science, said once she got her to open up, they discussed how her interests can be expanded to create a job using all her talents. “There are so many jobs out there, I told her she could create things an employer needs.” 

Vigilante agreed. “You need to look for an employer who offers cross training so you can see the different positions in the company. This,” she said, “creates collaboration.” 

She is working with a high school freshman who, while interested in engineering, is also looking for a creative outlet. “I showed her what I do, but I also introduced her to colleagues who have more creative jobs. It really opened her eyes to what is out there.” 

The main thing the mentors want to convey is confidence. “Just because you are not the president [of a company] doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be in on the conversation. These girls have a lot to offer,” she said. 

Berg said spending time with the girls shows them there are female role models that are just like them. “While I was asking about her family and interests, I found out she plays the violin. So do I,” she said. “She had never seen another black person who played the violin.” 

While the main focus of the program was to spend a day with the mentees, the women said they have kept in touch with their mentees and continue to be a sounding board. “We are someone they respect who they can go to with their questions,” Vigilante said. 

“Being a role model is a privilege and we should all be doing it,” she said.