Source Name: Medha

Ariel Pollock, North India Office Director, US Embassy Meets Medha’s Students

Nov 30, 2018   12:50 PM 
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Ariel Pollock, North India Office Director, US Embassy recently visited Medha students and alumni in Lucknow. Ariel attended a classroom session on future planning and interacted with a small group of alumni to understand Medha’s employability education program and how they support young women on their career paths.

 

Ariel Pollock with Medha's Students

 

The classroom session was held at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Government Girls College, where Medha has been operating since 2014. In speaking with students and alumni, Ariel inspired these young women to choose their careers wisely and pursue their passions. She was excited to hear so many of Medha’s female alumni speak about their desire to start their own business and do something for their community. In addition to sharing their professional journeys so far, these young women also spoke about the challenges they have faced overcoming difficult family situations to reach where they are today.

 

Sharing her experiences Bushra, Medha Alum said, “It was so easy to speak to Ariel ma’am. She is my new role model. I learnt so much from her experiences, I would like to be like her.”

 

Reeta, Alum from one of Medha’s first batches at Maharaja Bijli Pasi Government PG College in 2013 said, “On seeing everyone’s reactions to my story, I felt strong, like I have REALLY done something in life. All my struggles felt valid.”

 

A non-profit based out of Lucknow, Medha better prepares youth for life after school. The organization provides 21st-century skills training, career counseling and workplace exposure, and ongoing job placement and alumni support to students at their existing educational institution.

 

We were honored to host Ariel for the day to interact with our students, alumni, and team members. While we are inspired by the hard work and achievements of our students every day, it was exciting to share that experience with Ariel, and likewise see how her personal journey inspired our alumni as well,” said Christopher Turillo, Medha Co-Founder.

 

Since 2011, Medha has worked with over 10,000 students across 60 educational institutions, placed them into internships and full-time jobs with 500 leading employers, and built public-private partnerships with various departments within the Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, and Meghalaya.