Mentorship Academy Currently Accepting Applications for 2023/2024 Program Class

The Mentorship Academy, a CNX Foundation initiative designed for high school students interested in career paths that don’t immediately require a four-year college degree, is currently accepting applications for its 2023/2024 program class. Students accepted into the program will develop relationships with peers and business leaders across western Pennsylvania, as well as an understanding of the region’s career opportunities and guidance of how to pursue those careers. 

Mentorship Academy students explore a variety of career fields over the course of the program, including energy, manufacturing, healthcare, building trades, real estate and hospitality. During the 2022/2023 school year, participants learned about careers at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, Eaton Power Services Experience Center, Deep Well Services, the Energy Innovation Center, Howard Hanna Real Estate, and Pittsburgh International Airport. Additional partners and potential employers include the Builders Guild of Southwestern Pennsylvania, CHEMStream Oilfield Services, Iron Workers Local 3 and PPG Paints Arena. 

In addition to career exploration and networking, Mentorship Academy students are provided with one-on-one mentoring, resume and interview preparation, and even wardrobe assistance from Dress for Success Pittsburgh. And while the majority of activities center around preparing students for the workforce, they also had the chance to attend a Penguin’s hockey game in observance of Black Hockey History Month, which offered them an additional opportunity to meet local leaders. 

“I struggled in school until my counselor signed me up for the Mentorship Academy,” said Trenton Gerkey, a 2021-2022 Mentorship Academy graduate. “Over time, I learned about what a great opportunity it was.” 

After learning about a variety of different career paths, Trenton worked with his CNX mentors to find a job in the energy field. Today, he’s a full-time Associate Lease Operator at CNX Resources, a job he began two months after graduation. 

The Mentorship Academy is led by Dr. Shani Yeldell, a former school psychologist and foster care advocate who believes connecting students to career-supporting resources is key to succeeding after high school. 

Founded by CNX Resources President and CEO Nick DeIuliis, the academy provides urban and rural youth from economically disadvantaged regional Appalachian communities with opportunities for family-sustaining careers after high school. Committed to helping young people realize their full potential, the program is a key part of CNX’s Appalachia First strategy, which places the region’s communities, families and neighborhoods in the center of its strategic outlook. 

To learn more about the Mentorship Academy, or to apply, visit: https://www.cnx.com/about-us/the_mentorship-academy.