Featured Mentor-Mentee Pair: Carrianne Carallis (CLA'18) and Courtney Jacquin, MPP Class of 2019

This year, over 150 students are participating in the one-on-one mentor program. Highlighting the stories of mentor and mentee pairs not only demonstrates the wonderful contribution that mentors make to students' professional development but also encourages more significant relationships in other mentor and mentee pairs. Harris has been proud to feature new mentors from the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) in the program. This featured pair includes Courtney Jacquin, MPP Class of 2019, and her mentor, Carrianne Carallis (CLA’18), Deputy Budget Director of the Office of Budget & Management of the City of Chicago. 

Courtney Jacquin, Mentee:

What have you learned from your mentor this year?

So much! I've had a relationship with Carrianne that's been so great from the beginning. A major thing that her career trajectory has taught me is to always be able to roll with the punches. There might be a shakeup in your department — or if you're working in politics, in the elected office itself, but if you do good work and prove yourself as a reliable team member, you'll go far.

What can mentors provide to students above and beyond what they learn in class?

At Harris it's easy to be focused on what's right in front of us — finishing up the next problem set, writing a final paper, finding an internship — but mentors are there to pull us out of that mindset. There's so much of the world beyond Harris and completing a master's degree, and learning how to navigate a workplace is just as important in job success as are our classes and academic experience at Harris.

What attracted you to the mentorship program?

In undergrad I had a great relationship with my mentor, my college newspaper advisor. She helped me navigate  my first and second job out of college, getting into Harris, and just about every other professional decision I've made in my life since I was 21 (If you happen to be reading this, hi, Marla!). That relationship has been so important to me in my life, I wanted to create a meaningful relationship with someone in the policy world. Because I came to Harris from a completely different industry — I was a reporter and editor for a small weekly newspaper in the Chicago suburbs and studied journalism in undergrad — I came to Harris with no connections to politics or policy, but my relationship with Carrianne has really helped fill that void.

What have you appreciated most about your relationship with your mentor?

I appreciated how real it was! After my first meeting with Carrianne, I felt like I'd known her forever. We talk not just about work and careers, but all the other things that interest us like politics, dogs and even skincare, too. Obviously, the professional part of a mentor relationship is important, but what makes these connections real and long lasting is being able to bond over things outside of policy and careers. We're multifaceted women with multifaceted interests, our mentor relationships should reflect that! I also came into it as a bit of a different kind of mentee — by the time we met I had already started my full-time position in Senator Tammy Duckworth's office, so not only was I able to take advice from Carrianne, we were able to share stories from our various offices as well.

Will you be interested in mentoring students after you graduate?

Absolutely! Ever since I navigated the undergrad college admissions process mostly on my own with a mom who didn't attend college, I've always wanted to give back to young people to help them through various stages of life, especially those who don't come from families and hometowns and undergraduate institutions with connections. I've been so lucky to make it where I am today with the guidance of people who saw something in me and wanted to help me, and I owe it to all of those people to give back as much as I can in the future. It's so important to have someone who went through the same classes, same struggles as you and see them as a success on the other side of Harris, and I hope I can be that person to a future student someday.

Carrianne Carallis (CLA'18), Mentor:

Why did you want to participate as a mentor in the program?

The public sector often lacks formal professional development, so any way I can help to create a network to support persons in this field, particularly for young women, is a high priority. 

Have you had mentors in your life? How did they impact you and how has that shaped your professional career?

I have definitely had multiple people in my career that have helped guide my direction, and these people have changed based on where I am in my career. They have all have taught me to stay focused on self-understanding, meaning, remembering why I chose to be in this field and being sure to align that mind set and intended goals with all decisions I make about my career. 

What have you liked most about working with your current mentee?

Courtney is such a great reminder that staying focused on your intention will result in finding the right fit in your career. I switched fields at the age of 30, which was not an easy task, and I have such great respect for people that make this jump to follow their passion. Courage is an undervalued trait – especially for women.  

What do you believe is the key(s) to a successful mentor/mentee relationship?

I think establishing a relationship where you feel comfortable reaching out at any time and can speak in confidence is important. I find I often just need a non-judgmental sounding board, so I hope to provide this to others. There is so much pressure on professional relationships that you need someone that understands your experience but that you can truly say what you are thinking.  You don’t need to speak often – just to know that you have a connection where you can bounce ideas around if you need to, especially if you’re nervous or unsure about potential outcomes.