My Experience Of Volunteering As A Mentor

The Closing Bell Speaker Series “Iron Sharpens Iron”: Why Mentoring Matters So Much was presented by Forest Harper. Forest Harper is the current Chief Executive Officer and President of INROADS Inc. Harper grew up in a poor neighborhood in Fort Pierce, Florida. In high school, Harper was a star athlete in his high school’s Army ROTC program. He attended Morgan State University on a football scholarship. His plan was to become a professional football player. He suffered two knee injuries that ended his football career. He graduated from Morgan State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Social Work. After graduation, he joined the Army and served as a Lieutenant. He spent six years in the Army and rose up to the position of Captain. After the Army, Harper participated in the Executive Leadership Training program at Harvard University. Before becoming the president of INROADS, Harper worked at Pfizer for twenty-eight years. He started as a pharmaceutical sales representative and later became the Vice President of Capability Development in Worldwide Public Affairs and Policy. He was the only African American in his division. This fact inspired him to join INROADS and become a mentor to minority college student. His goal is to help get as many minority college students into the industry they choose. Harper’s own mentor is his uncle Walter Crenshaw, the oldest documented Tuskegee Airman.

Mentoring during my undergraduate years made me realize how one can positively impact lives by educating and guiding. Since I was already very interested in the healthcare it made me realize that becoming primary care physician will allow me to educate, guide and support my patients with their healthcare needs. When I was a mentor the students and parents asked me for advice and I helped them with strategies and planning for their education similarly as a physician I can provide these services for my patients as well for their health. It gives me great satisfaction in helping people in such way. I have developed these skills of mentoring and guiding well enough that people seem responsive to my advice. I was working as a mentor and studying neuroscience as an undergrad with a goal to pursue a career in medicine. Taking premed course and majoring in Neuroscience, my curiosity for medicine grew further. I was able to balance my education and work as a mentor which an important component in becoming a physician.

I’ve never really thought of myself as having a mentor, I mean yeah I have my family, friends, and all of the people that care for me around me, but when I really think about it Terry would have to be my mentor. Terry has help me through so much! My track career and has made me a better thrower, and a better person. He always gives off a really good vibe and he treats all of his kids like one of his own, and as me coming in as a freshman it really helped not having one awkward moment in this track year because of Terry.

I want to be a mentee because the Mentorship program is a fantastic way to familiarize with the school and meeting people with other background. Obviously, as an incoming freshman, I do not know much people, so the Mentorship program as a chance to break the ice and to make connections in school and among peers. Also, I am not familiar with the state of Michigan, so the program also serves as an opportunity to get accustomed with the new environment, the new climate, and the new culture. I was born and raised in Taiwan, and moved to California five years later; I realize the difference from one place to another. Michigan is a whole new place and it is imperative that I learn how to adjust and behave in an appropriate way. Through the program,

Formal mentoring programs are ubiquitous on college campuses and yet there is a lack of high quality training for mentoring participants online. The Entering Mentoring training is a notable exception (more here). However, this training is in person. More here about lack of inclusive mentoring / cultural intelligence.

The issues I have decided to address are the lack of formal in group mentors and mentorship opportunities available for female students, faculty, and staff of color. The University has been intentional about recruiting students, faculty and staff of color. Despite these efforts our women of color who work as faculty or staff are the few available mentors available for students. Unfortunately, they are burdened with few professional growth opportunities while juggling work, mentorship requests, as well as providing the minority voice on committees throughout the campus. Subsequently, these women do not have in group mentors to support their growth. While some research shows, professionals who have been mentored are more likely to engage in mentoring, this does not seem hold true for women in general, it is especially untrue for women of color (Wright and Wright 1987). Increased professional expectations, distress and demands are likely the reasons for this difference. With all this, it is clear that women of color are at a significant disadvantage for finding mentors on this campus, and in most male dominated fields.

Every person that walks this planet is comprised of three components that are unique to that individual. These components are the physical being, the spiritual being, and the emotional being. The physical being is exactly that; it is the tangible shell in which we live, made up of organs, broken down to tissues, further divided into cells, which are comprised of molecules, which are made up of energy. This energy is God, our spiritual being: the part of ourselves that ultimately matters. When we accept God, He dwells within us. If we do not accept God, we close ourselves off from fulfillment, both here and in eternal life with our creator. Our emotional being is a little trickier to define than the other two parts of our beings. Our emotional being results from our life experiences, and how we react to those experiences. Our emotional being differentiates us from all other humans. No two people have a lifetime of identical experiences and identical reactions.

Looking back, I can remember my freshman self being ecstatic about finally being in high school with the older kids. I was eager to try new things and meet new people. In the first month of school, freshmen were introduced to their freshman mentors who taught advisement lessons and were meant to serve as guides to assist students in their first year of high school. I looked up to mentors; they were the first upperclassmen besides my relatives that I knew. However, my mentors failed to do their specified job. During lessons, they neglected to keep students engaged in the topic and did not show up prepared or with enthusiasm. They acted as if they were too cool and didn’t serve as a positive role model for freshman. My experience that year is

"Um, why does any of this matter to you." Disbelief swept over my mind, I couldn't believe the attitude. It was my first day as a mentor in success when I quickly realized this was not going to be an easy year. The girl that I was chosen to mentor became my biggest challenge. She refused to work, much less talk to me. Over time she began to open up, I soon found out what no one wants to hear, she did not have a very stable, content home life. Although it was difficult to keep her motivated with these struggles constantly in the back of her mind, I knew I had to be understanding. We worked together day after day, on her grades as well as her overall well being. The university motto, Ut Prosim - (That I May Serve) was the foundation of our learning

Being a mentor has a special meaning for me. Ten years ago I was sitting outside my high school principal’s office having given up convinced that I would never graduate. There were a lot of factors that led up to that, but two were not having a place to live and having a learning disability. Someone with a Cream Cheese bagel covered in Hot Cheetos was in the office that day and asked me if I wanted some. That started a series of conversations that changed my life. Honestly, it probably saved my life. Being a mentor gives me an opportunity to pay that forward. Recently, a student shared with me his story and conviction about attending college. Aspects of his story were very similar to mine, including protecting and setting an example for his

With the mid-semester already here, my mentor and I have fit into a routine where he expects our time together. Jason has seemed to have ease with excitement and is accustomed to having me as a mentor now. However, I feel as though since now he knows what days I mentor for him, this has caused some issues, as well as perks between us working together. I feel that I have been now doing this long enough to experience the best of both worlds when it comes to enjoying time with your mentee, as well as experiencing quite difficult moments and situations while mentoring. I am now accustomed to the rules and procedures that every student follows in the classroom, and in the hallways and on the playground as well. I am far into this program to better

8)The summer between my freshman and sophomore year in high school, I had an internship at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York in Chinatown. It was the first time when I worked outside of a school setting. In CCCNY, I worked with incredibly patient and kind mentors to help the non-profit organization conduct events that would enrich the lives of the people. Other interns in the program were also very intelligent, and we became good friends. What I really enjoyed was when the mentors acknowledged my effort and ability and awarded me the opportunity of planning the award ceremony for the Second Confucius Plaza Cherry Blossom Photography Contest. Although the mentors gave me advises and my friends gladly helped me along the process, I

The aim of this essay is to discuss on how the reflection on mentorship will be undertaken, how and why the model of reflection will be used and the importance of confidentiality. I will reflect the mentorship by ensuring that the mentee during clinical practice is put at ease throughout the learning experience of four weeks (Quinn, and Hughes 2007, p. 29). Also, I will use the principle of Kolb’s learning cycle as my model of reflection because reflecting is an essential element of learning. As I am the mentor, I will follow this cycle in a clockwise direction with Jude, so she would have to reflect on the skills learnt by reviewing the whole situation (Kolb’s learning cycle 1984 in Rose and Best 2005, p.129). This would enable Jude to

Mentorship is very important in the workplace especially in the area of training and development. The mentor-protégé relationship is a much needed relationship that begins in the early career stage and this relationship involves the current or new employees and the supervisor or other colleagues that provide work-related guidance. The relationship itself is comprehensive and involves “educational, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual development” (Greenhaus,, Callanan, & Godshalk, 2010, p 211). One of the initial task of the early career the establishment of the career field which involves the gaining of the workplace competence, learn what is needed to excel in the organization, and to gain acceptance in the workplace to be recognized as the valued employee. There are many ways of achieving the above mentioned advantages in the workplace which one main method is through the use of the mentorship program.

Our first mentoring session was this week, and it was very successful. I learned very valuable information about the mentees, such as their dreams, aspirations, and interests, by simply speaking and interacting with them. There was a variety of interests and goals among the mentees, ranging from the aspiration to be a model to the dream of becoming a famous basketball player. In addition to learning about their interests, I also learned more about the mentees’ individual strengths, so that I will be able to help them develop those areas in the future. As a result of a survey the Executive Director created, I was also able to learn about what the mentees hope to gain from the mentoring program. Concerning the agency itself, I learned that the mentees who had already completed the program last year will be integrated with the new group of mentees that will be completing the program this year.