When I was elected President of IIDA's New York Chapter for 2016-2017, I decided to have a specific focus during my tenure. As we look at the state of our industry, our chapter has noticed a clear generational gap in young professionals. This is something that we want to address this year, and one solution that we find works well is mentorship. For those who are just out of school and beginning their careers, having someone who can offer guidance and provide advice can be invaluable. I personally have participated in student outreach programs throughout my career, starting in college when I worked with AIAS (American Institute of Architecture Students), which I found to be helpful and inspiring. I know that there are many young professionals who could benefit from a mentor, and with IIDA NY, I would like to work to provide a more structured system.