What Happens When You Give One Student 21 Mentors?
In March 2020, Shahmir Zaidi sat locked in his room in Queens.
The pandemic had brought the city to a halt.
Colleges closed. Internships vanished. Networking? Impossible.
“I remember thinking: I’m stuck. No connections, no roadmap, no idea how to move forward.”
Then an email appeared: “Mentorship Available.”
He clicked.
And City Tutors became his transfer back onto the line of possibility.
Over the next four years, Shahmir met 21 mentors, joined events across New York, and explored every stop along his personal and professional journey.
Stop 1: Christine Vesecchi (Blackstone) rebuilt his resume from scratch.
Stop 2: Tony Kelly (Goldman Sachs) gave him his first glimpse of Wall Street and said, “You belong here.”
Stop 3: Arya (AIG) met with him monthly for two years—then pulled him onto his own team.
Stop 4: Ray Carbonell (startup CEO) was consistently kind and helpful, opening doors and connecting Shahmir with opportunities across sectors.
Stop 5: Michael Gertsch (AIG) provided invaluable guidance and encouragement during a pivotal period—offering insights, perspective, and steady support that helped shape the next stage of his professional journey.
Stop 6: David Fields (VC) pushed him to see beyond finance and into entrepreneurship.
And those were just the biggest stations.
Between them were countless others:
Michael Todisco (Citi) advocated for Shahmir, made introductions, and amplified his search—opening conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Coffee chats with startup founders and ETF leaders that revealed entirely new industries.
Networking at City Tutors events that built his confidence and community.
“City Tutors didn’t just hand me one mentor—they gave me an entire city of people who wanted to see me succeed. It was up to me how far I wanted to go, and I took every stop.”
Today, Shahmir has:
Earned two full-time roles through mentors who advocated for him.
Chosen to pursue a master’s degree—an idea influenced by formative conversations that opened new perspectives on the financial services industry.
Returned as a mentor—guiding students who are just stepping onto the same subway he once boarded.
“Students like me don’t get this kind of access. Without City Tutors, I wouldn’t have had this map. Every stop, every mentor, every event—it built my future piece by piece.”