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Las Vegas rich in skilled mentors, rare opportunities

Growing up in Las Vegas, you get this false sense of reality. You become accustomed to five-star five-diamond resorts, world-renowned restaurants, a 24-hour lifestyle and access to seemingly limitless opportunities. It isn’t until you leave that you begin to understand just how much Las Vegas has to offer.

Las Vegas provides the opportunity to succeed. Young professionals can be mentored by incredibly successful individuals. It has this feel of a big city, but maintains such a small, close-knit community. You have the ability to dream big and realize your dreams. All it takes is the drive and commitment to create your own success story.

The Las Vegas Business Academy realized this and decided to invest in the future of young professionals. LVBA helped further my dream of earning my Juris Doctor with financial support for my last year of law school. The program casts a wide net across the Las Vegas Valley and finds mentors who have been successful in a variety of prominent industries. Through the program, we gain an “all-access pass to Las Vegas.” We can pick the brains of these individuals and understand their success stories — what it took to get where they are, how they have made a difference in our valley, what struggles they encountered and what advice they can provide.

The Las Vegas Business Academy’s program is not easy. Our mentors constantly push us and mold us. LVBA requires drive and commitment that is required to succeed. This program has helped me in so many ways by the lessons it has taught, such as public speaking, creating personal relationships, how to communicate properly and carry myself at a variety of professional functions. It teaches you the meaning of hard work and keeps you humble.

What I found common among all of my mentors is that being the smartest or the most talented is helpful, but the willingness to work hard is even more important. When you make a commitment, you do everything in your power not just to meet expectations, but to surpass them. Through the LVBA program, I created relationships, built a support system and network and learned many helpful and useful practices.

Many people view millennials as entitled, ready to move onto another job opportunity when it comes knocking. However, LVBA humbled me and showed me that hard work and dedication are needed to succeed, not only as an employee but as a future employer.

As an aspiring professional and as a millennial, I understand that I still have much to learn. It is important that an employer is willing to teach and challenge me. I strive to become someone whose focus is not to further her own career, but to work as part of a team in furthering the success of the business. At the same time, it is important to have an employer and career that make going to work enjoyable each day.

Brooke Luna is a recent graduate of the Las Vegas Business Academy, a nonprofit organization that provides selected college students financial aid and mentoring to encourage future business leaders in Las Vegas.

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