The Future Leaders of Yale (FLY) affinity group provides resources and support for Yale staff members in the early or shifting stages of their career. FLY co-chairs, Gina Amico and Hang Pham, are developing programs that provide their members with professional development, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities.
As a fellowship coordinator at the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies, Amico works with the Offices of Visiting Scholars, Exchanges, and Fellowships to orient Fox International Fellows, Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants, and Visiting Assistants in Research to the Yale community. She also promotes student grant opportunities and cultivates relationships with global partner institutions through site visits, seminars, conferences, and reunion events.
All Yale employees are invited to attend FLY events and become part of the FLY community. Steering committee meetings, which occur the last Tuesday of every month from 12-1 pm, are open to the entire Yale community (registration required).
Before coming to Yale, Amico taught elementary English and history, worked with education nonprofits as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) leader, and served as a primary literacy specialist with the Peace Corps in Guyana.
Pham is a project manager in the Operations Portfolio Management Office in Yale ITS. During summers, she interned at the Peabody Museum of Natural History as part of an after-school college readiness program. She transitioned to a full-time position there as a visitor experience administrator managing special events and the museum’s front-of-house operations. In her current role, Pham works closely with IT project managers who maintain large campus-wide portfolios, supporting governance activities and coordinating a wide range of operational activities.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.
How did you get involved with the Future Leaders of Yale (FLY) group?
Amico: I joined FLY’s community outreach and civic engagement sub-committee. As a former Peace Corps volunteer and AmeriCorps VISTA alumna, my passion for community engagement and my background in education and international development aligned well with FLY’s objectives. My contributions to that sub-committee allowed me to take on a more prominent role as the co-chair elect this past spring.
Pham: I heard about FLY during new employee orientation and joined their book club. I attended other events seeking out colleagues who were in a similar segment of their career as I was. FLY provided a place to meet and talk to other people who, like me, were just starting out professionally and had similar struggles and concerns. After meeting with the co-chairs to explore options, I joined the professional development sub-committee, which focuses on bringing in speakers and providing workshops for our members.
What kind of support does this affinity group offer, and who is it for?
Amico: FLY is designed to support staff members through networking opportunities and professional development workshops. It also provides a place for members to share their varied experiences and insights. FLY fosters an environment where members can connect, learn, and grow personally and professionally. Our events are a chance to network or relax and have fun.
Pham: We are here for everyone at every career stage, regardless of age. Yale staff members under age 36 are automatically enrolled, but anyone can join FLY. We focus on allowing members to assume leadership roles they may not experience in their everyday jobs. FLY hosts strategic planning sessions where we solicit feedback from the community, and we build out the year based on that information. For instance, post-COVID, we are planning programs around work-life balance and wellness. People of all ages are rethinking their careers and considering starting new ones. FLY can help with that.
How has your experience with FLY affected your career?
Amico: It has allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals who are committed to professional growth and community engagement within Yale and New Haven. Through networking events, discussions, and workshops, I’ve expanded my knowledge and gained valuable insights into various areas of interest. It’s great to hear what others are doing across the campus and explore potential areas of cross-departmental collaboration. I am also pursuing my Ed.D. at Baylor University with a focus on cultivating campus-community partnerships. I’ve found a natural alignment between FLY’s objectives and my passions.
Pham: My involvement in FLY has helped me understand strategic planning and provided me the opportunity to develop programs beneficial to our members. I’ve learned leadership skills as a co-chair of the professional development committee. Attending many social events, I became more confident walking up to people and striking up a conversation. It was challenging at first, but FLY provides a space to network and meet some interesting people from across campus. It’s a low-stress way of practicing your network skills; everyone is so supportive. I have also established many friendships that moved beyond FLY.
What have you accomplished or hope to achieve as a chair?
Amico: During my short time as a co-chair, I have focused on initiatives, including a pilot mentorship program, which aims to guide and support fellow members as they navigate their academic and professional journeys. I’ve explored the possibility of FLY participating in events like Yale Day of Service, underscoring our commitment to community involvement. As co-chair, I continue to cultivate my leadership skills, collaborate with fellow members, and continue FLY’s mission of fostering growth, empowerment, and community engagement.
Pham: I want to increase our social media presence within the university and break through some assumptions people have about FLY. We want to focus on creating more in-person networking events, including social hours and lunches. We are also looking to revamp our mentoring program. There is a lot of interest from our members about being mentored by others at Yale. All these ideas came out of our strategic planning committee and through suggestions from our members.
Yale’s affinity groups are supported by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, under the leadership of Deborah Stanley-McAulay, associate vice president of employee engagement and workplace culture. This is the fourth in a series of interviews with affinity group leaders, volunteers who are chosen by their peers for two-year terms. Read about the co-chairs of the Working Women’s Network; the Yale Veterans Network; and the LGBTQ Affinity Group.
