Senior Mentor Series – Meet Andrew Aisen

Andrew Aisen

Andrew Aisen, Quantitative Analyst at Key Bank

Where are you from?
I’m originally from Indianapolis, IN. I came to Cleveland to attend Case Western Reserve University and ended up wanting to stay.

How did you learn about Minds Matter Cleveland?
I first learned about the organization from the training program for my new job at the time with Key Bank.

How long have you been a volunteer?
I’ve been a mentor with Minds Matter since October 2015.

What do you like most about Minds Matter Cleveland?
Definitely the people, everyone from the mentors to our mentees! I’ve really enjoyed having a chance to grow my network by meeting and interacting with fellow young professionals around here.

Who are your mentees?
Zephaniah (Cleveland Early College High School) and Jay’da (Cleveland Central Catholic), whom I share with my co-mentor Chris Sledzik.

What is/are the most rewarding part(s) of your mentoring experience?
Seeing how much my both Zephaniah and Jay’da have grown since their junior year. Also being able to build and grow that youth-mentor relationship with them means a lot to me.

What surprised you the most about your mentees?
They have completely opposite persona yet somehow they manage to balance each other out. Jay’da was very quiet at the beginning, it took her a while to open up to me and Chris, whereas Zephaniah has always been very interactive. They’ve learned to work so well together and just bring out the best version of each other.

How has Minds Matter Cleveland impacted your life?
I feel that Minds Matter has had a substantial impact on my life. I feel more in touch with a younger group nowadays. They gave me a new perspective of life different than the one I knew of and came from. And I’ve developed a lot of appreciation for that.

What does the future look like for your mentorship with the students and your involvement with Minds Matter Cleveland after graduation?
I hope to continue staying in touch with them even after they graduate from Minds Matter and high school. I look forward to see them grow even more in college and life.

Andrew & Zephaniah