Mentors provide professional networks, outlets for frustration, college and career counseling, general life advice, and most importantly, an extra voice telling a student they are smart enough and capable enough to cross the stage at graduation and land their first paycheck from a career pathway job.

At Year Up, we have helped thousands of students rise from poverty into a professional career in a single year.

Years ago, as I was beginning my professional career on Wall Street, I volunteered as a Big Brother in New York City.

The millennial generation and a growing number of employees are looking for more than just a paycheck. If a nonprofit could make that easy for me, they are doing me a favor. It's not just a one-way value exchange; it is an internal morale building opportunity.

My film directorial career has been nothing but repetition of one failure after another!

All I wanted to do was come into my own and find out my career path and what I wanted to do with my life - but, at the same time, showing respect to my father and mother and make them proud as well.

Possibly I am difficult to live with, but I don't bring my work home much. I'm either busy or not busy. And I don't work from home. I have an office here which has a white wall. No view. I did try working in a room with a view but it was too interesting. Too distracting.

All the jobs I've gotten in the last two years are because directors have seen the work I've done - indie films, plays, short student films, TV - since I moved to the states in 1996. I mean, I have an entire career in Canada that nobody has seen.