Alief ISD students mentored at Enterprising Women conference; district partners covered travel for selected attendees

Alief ISD on April 15 highlighted a district mentorship effort that brought women business leaders to campus for a local ‘‘Young Enterprising Women’’ conference in January and that resulted in selected students and staff attending a national Enterprising Women conference in Nashville.

The district’s Dolores Jones described the January conference at the Alief Center for Talent Development, saying the event expanded from an initial goal of about 100 students to about 250 young women who were mentored in STEM and other fields. Jones credited community partners and local staff—including Dr. Karen Jacobs, Dr. Alba Bowen, Leslie Ayers and Stacy Keener—for organizing the conference and for arranging follow‑up opportunities.

“Each young lady was mentored in the individual STEM field of studies,” Jones told the board, and many students “also brought their resumes” and received mentors’ contact information for future guidance. Jones said professional…