Samantha Tjong, John Youn, and Peter Youn know what they want and where they are going, but that wasn’t always the case. Sam and John, in particular, had a rocky transition from high school to university, and have worked to make that transition smoother for others.
From left to right: Samantha Tjong, John Youn, and Peter Youn
Sam and John co-founded a mentorship project for their accounting/financial management program while they were still in first year, with the goal of helping grade 12 students transition to university. The ongoing program has already helped 2,000 students, although they have subsequently handed it over to the university.
Out of that project, they began thinking about the career clarity they had experienced through the co-op program, and had what they refer to as an epiphany: They could develop a program like their mentorship program that helped high school students make informed career decisions before they make post-secondary applications.
John’s brother Peter, who is also in accounting and financial management, although in second year, joined the team. They heard about GreenHouse and became the first siblings to attend GreenHouse together.
While Sam and John had already launched a successful program, they are finding enormous value in the GreenHouse experience.
“It’s an amazing inspiring space,” says Sam. “We are so glad we chose GreenHouse. Although we eventually want to be a for-profit venture, it has been really important for us to learn how to talk to government, how to be a systems change leader, and how to enact greater change.”
This term, they have validated the problem and are building a prototype of their solution – with three key building blocks (relevant information broken down into understandable pieces; virtual reality simulation of potential careers; mentorship from current students) — with hopes to launch a pilot project in spring 2018.
“We know who we are and what we don’t know,” says John. “GreenHouse has been very helpful in filling in the knowledge and network gaps that help us be successful in this venture.”