Guyanese youth launch ‘Next Step’ platform to support students 

Two young Guyanese, Joshua Gulab and Aniyah Couchman, have launched the ‘Next Step Guyana’ platform, a near-peer mentorship website aiming to help students navigate academic and career pathways.

The website- nextstepgy.org – allows students to sign up for mentorship or engagement sessions for up to an hour at a time. There are several mentors part of the venture, and those mentors are matched with the students seeking support in specific academic or career areas.

“Our goal is to build a society where every student, regardless of background can access honest and relatable guidance simply by having a device and curiosity,” Gulab told the News Room.

Meanwhile, Couchman said, “Our venture hopes to benefit every Guyanese student who is uncertain of what that next stage in life may be regarding their academic and professional journeys. This can be from questions relating to what subjects to take at CSEC/ CAPE, how to manage your time, apply for scholarships and university in Guyana abroad, to even getting feedback on your resume, LinkedIn profile, or how to apply for internships.

“Our aim is to normalise a culture of learning to ask for help and making reliable help readily available.”

Gulab designed and built the website while Couchman dealt with marketing and promotions. Both Guyanese youth were students of Queen’s College and received Presidential Scholarships to study at Stanford University in the United States.

Aside from the website, the Next Step Guyana team has a presence on TikTok and Instagram. Eventually, Gulab and Couchman want to grow the platform into a national hub meant to help Guyanese youth and, as such, are open to partnering with organisations and bodies. Eventually, the duo envisions sharing scholarship information on their website and establishing a portal for internships and career fairs.