A Day of Mentorship, Dreams, and Opportunities In Century City
By Dolores Quintana
Blank Rome, a distinguished Century City-based law firm, collaborated with MOSTe (Motivating Our Students Through Experience), a youth-oriented nonprofit organization serving middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds, on Saturday, October 28. The event, titled “Adopt-a-Center Career Day,” brought together 80 young scholars and 50 professionals from various career paths for an inspiring day of mentorship and exploration with a delicious lunch provided by In-N-Out.
Stacy D. Phillips, the event organizer and partner at BlankRome, said, “I created the Adopt A Center program 25 years ago because I wanted my firm to give back to the community in a hands-on way. It was important to me to give time and not just money. I wanted our program to have a lasting impact on the children and families we adopted. When I moved my firm to Blank Rome, it was vital to me to have Blank Rome adopt this program. The Adopt-a-Center Program has been a long-standing passion of mine because it is focused on helping families and mentoring young people. This year’s program partnership with MOSTe is a shining example of how it touches young lives and inspires students to consider various career opportunities. This year, we pulled together 30 thought-leaders from Blank Rome, clients and friends of mine and the firm, to talk about their career development and career options in their respective industries.
The speakers also provided advice and tips on building confidence, getting internships, building a resume of experience, and more. I sat in on several of these sessions, and the conversations with the young women were inspiring. In the end, when we surveyed the young girls, many of them shared that our program opened their eyes to new educational directions and new career possibilities. On behalf of my firm, we plan to continue the Adopt A Center program, including possibly replicating this specific program agenda with other Los Angeles youth organizations, because it was so successful and inspiring to everyone. Some of those who participated in the Career Day will also be doing more events with MOSTe. My even greater wish would be for other law firms to adopt our Adopt A Center program as part of their way of giving back to the community.”
Blank Rome’s Career Day aims to provide MOSTe’s young women scholars with valuable insights from accomplished professionals, fostering curiosity, dreams, and career aspirations. The event featured a diverse lineup of seminars and speakers covering a wide range of fields, including law, accounting, healthcare, entertainment, STEM, real estate, fashion, and public relations/marketing.
Notable speakers included:
- Stacy D. Phillips, Founder, Adopt-A-Center; Partner, Blank Rome
- Shonette Gaston, COO, Blank Rome
- Ronald S. Glickman, Ed.D, Chief Information Officer, Trader Joe’s
- Jana Monroe, CEO, JD Monroe Enterprises; Former FBI Executive
- Dennis Contis, EVP & Head of Content, CNBC Primetime
- Louis “Lou” Phillips, EVP of Physical Production, Focus Features
- Evan Waite, Co-Producer and writer for TV: Family Guy
- Gretchen Pace, VP & General Manager, Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills
- Mandi Line, Costume Designer, Stylist & Host
- Kristi Funk, M.D., Breast Cancer Surgeon, Pink Lotus Breast Center
- Sydney Baines, Communication Specialist, The Walt Disney Company
- Daryl McCullough and George Griffin, Owners McGriffin Media, PR and Social Media Marketing Agency
- Anachristina Morino, Systems Engineer, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Ali Bloombarden, Health Justice Advocate, Partners in Health
About the Adopt-A-Center:
For a quarter-century, the Adopt-A-Center Program has been supporting Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations that serve underserved children and families. Each year, the program partners with a chosen organization to host events that benefit their constituents. Past events have included cultural outings, sports events, concerts, and community support initiatives. You can find more about past recipients and events on our website.
About MOSTe, Our 2023 Partner:
In 2023, Blank Rome is proud to partner with MOSTe, an organization dedicated to mentoring and empowering girls from underserved areas of LA County. MOSTe’s mission is to guide these young women on their journeys to becoming college-educated individuals and effective agents of social change. Through comprehensive academic and personal growth-focused programs, MOSTe equips students with the tools, connections, and confidence needed to succeed academically and make a positive impact in their communities.
