What Happens When the Plan Disappears

“I didn’t have any connection at all,” Jonathan Aguilar said. “Or any form of a map.”

Jonathan had originally imagined a different path. He planned to play soccer in college, and for a time that was the future he was organizing his life around. When COVID disrupted those plans, he transferred back home and enrolled at Baruch College, choosing it because it was known for being career focused and practical.

He arrived with urgency. Soccer was no longer the plan, and whatever came next needed to work.

Around him, other students talked easily about internships, referrals, and recruiters. Jonathan listened, but did not yet know how those paths actually formed. He came from a background where corporate jobs were not common, and there had been few chances to watch how professional worlds operated up close.

One day, he was skimming Baruch’s weekly email of career listings when he saw a line near the bottom: mentorship opportunities, City Tutors. He clicked, curious and hoping it might lead somewhere.

“I didn’t realize how much of a goldmine it was,” he said.

Through City Tutors, Jonathan was matched with Ashley Priest, a communications executive at Paramount. Their conversations focused on how to navigate early professional environments, including interviewing practice, how to communicate clearly, and how expectations show up in small, everyday ways. These conversations helped Jonathan understand how to strategically build a career path toward his dream companies, mirroring how Ashley successfully built hers.

“She would say, ‘Why are you late?’ ‘Why aren’t you answering?’” Jonathan said. “I genuinely didn’t know.”

"In both direct and indirect ways, she provided insightful feedback that was equally professional and personal. Looking back, I'm deeply grateful for Ashley's patience, especially as I was still learning how to find my footing in the corporate and entertainment industries."

The feedback was intentional and consistent. Over time, six to eight months by his estimate, Jonathan adjusted how he prepared for conversations, how he followed up, and how he carried himself in professional settings. The rules that once felt opaque began to make sense.

Opportunities followed.

As a sophomore, Jonathan landed an internship at Madison Square Garden. He later interned at Paramount and then returned to Madison Square Garden for another role. The environments were fast paced and demanding, and he said the habits he developed through mentorship helped him navigate them.

“I wouldn’t have gotten those internships, other career opportunities or built the confidence I have today without that relationship,” he said.

After graduating, Jonathan took a full time role at a marketing agency, creating impactful marketing campaigns. The referral came through a connection he had made during his Madison Square Garden work, experience he traces back to that first mentorship.

When he talks about what he wants next, he talks about giving back. He has already referred both mentors and mentees to City Tutors and is interested in stepping further into the community as his career stabilizes.

When asked what changed most, Jonathan talked about how he approaches people and time. He prepares intentionally, follows through, and expresses appreciation clearly.

“Those tiny things,” he said, “go a really long way.”

Jonathan remains in touch with Ashley. Their relationship continues beyond the formal mentorship period.

Looking back, Jonathan describes City Tutors as the place where a new plan began to take shape and where the steps between effort and opportunity finally became visible.