SUMMER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

In June, 46 students participating in De Smet Jesuit's Summer Shadow program visited 21 different businesses across St. Louis for immersive experiences in various industries, including construction, finance, and law.  

"Our session was lively," John True '82, General Partner at Cultivation Capital, said. "The boys brought the heat with questions and drive for entrepreneurship and venture capital knowledge. It's refreshing to see high school students this hungry to learn about the opportunities and challenges of starting their own business or investing in early-stage firms." 

 One of De Smet Jesuit's primary goals is to prepare students for success in the real world. The insight they gained from this experience will significantly impact their future. 

"World Wide Technology put on an unbelievable presentation and made me think of things in a way I would've never thought of," said Brennan Wahl '24. Some of the topics we discussed, like Artificial Intelligence, were fascinating to learn about, and the entire shadow was an amazing experience."  

While the students were rising seniors and recent graduates, each participating business had an alumni or parent connection to De Smet. Encapsulating the principles of "Men for Others," our connections in the business world were eager to give our students this opportunity. 

"I could see the interest levels at different points of the day during different topics," said Joe Bergan, Principal of Market Engagement at Edward Jones and father of Tripp '24. "It gave me great pleasure to see the lightbulbs go off in their heads as they interacted throughout the day."

CLICK HERE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A PARTNER COMPANY FOR SUMMER, 2025 PROGRAM