SOAR Mentee-Mentor Pair Spotlight: Aleeya Irshad and Bill G. Williams

The Soar With Mentor program is proud to spotlight one of our inspiring mentor-mentee pairs: Aleeya Irshad and Bill G. Williams. This pair have been exceptionally engaging with the program, including the Dell Community Forum.

Meet Aleeya Irshad: Aleeya is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering at York University. When she's not studying, you'll find her spiking volleyballs on the court or strumming her guitar. 

Aleeya joined the Soar With Mentor program to build meaningful connections with industry professionals and peers, embracing the philosophy that learning through shared experiences drives innovation. She firmly believes that "the greatest insights come out of learning from each other's experiences. We also help other people grow by sharing experiences of our own. This cyclical process of learning and sharing is what fosters the foundation of innovation!"

Her excitement for Neural Processing Units (NPUs) reflects her passion for both software and hardware solutions, particularly in AI and machine learning. Aleeya's dedication to tech is evident from her participation in the STEM Fellowship's Inter-University Big Data Challenge at Microsoft HQ, where she impressively showcased her AI research project.

One invaluable lesson Aleeya has learned from her mentors is the importance of reflection. She emphasizes, "Consistently reflect on yourself to see what worked and what areas of improvement you can focus on. After all, if we don't reflect on how our actions turned into results, then how would we know what to improve?" She believes that consistently assessing what works and what needs improvement is key to personal and professional growth. 

When asked to describe her journey with a song, she chose "Heroes (We Could Be)" by Alesso, stating, "It gives you perspective on how everyone has potential—we just have to find our own way to fashion it into meaningful actions."

Her advice to fellow mentees is to "make the most of opportunities! We're all in this program at the same time, but what really counts is what you're doing to make the most of the experience."

Aleeya's journey is enriched and supported by her mentor, Bill G. Williams, whose guidance is helping her grow professionally and personally

Meet Bill G. Williams: Bill is the Founder and CEO of The B4 Group Inc. He joined Soar with Mentor to support and empower women in STEM to reach senior leadership positions. He is passionate about ensuring that women know STEM is a viable and rewarding career path and is dedicated to helping them achieve these goals.

Inspired by the song Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez, Bill emphasizes the need to amplify and share one's voice, stating, "At this time in history it's critical that our voices be heard! You gotta do it, you gotta do it your way. You gotta prove it, you gotta mean what you say!"

With a wealth of experience and numerous mentors throughout his career, Bill understands the value of diverse perspectives in making sound decisions. "It's always great to have another perspective—one you might never have thought of on your own. Mentors can ground you and support you in your best decision-making. Leverage the experience they bring to the table."

As an advocate for leveraging AI to enhance productivity and creativity, Bill stays connected with other leaders through his role as host and brand ambassador for The Art of Leadership Women and Summit conferences. His advice to mentees is simple yet profound: “Lean in and reach out. There are always people out there who would be happy and proud to support your success! Dig deep and find the courage to simply ask them to have an in-person or even a virtual coffee. You have NOTHING to lose!” He encourages mentees to find the courage to seek guidance, as many are willing to support their success.

Together, Aleeya and Bill exemplify the spirit of the Soar With Mentor community! Thank you for joining and sharing your experiences!

Who should we spotlight next? Reply in the comments to let us know, and to share your thoughts with our spotlight mentee and mentor!