Seek out a Mentor

My particular advising style is one that I would characterize as collaborative, focusing on mutual respect. I expect a great deal from my students. As I hope they expect great things from themselves. I have even been known to give homework assignments. Please understand, this is out of concern and a desire to prepare you all for the challenges that you will face in the world of work and in graduate school. Expectations in both graduate school and the work world will be high and because of the intellectual, academic and social capabilities of you all, I see no reason not to mirror those same expectations as you explore your undergraduate experience. I often share with my students, that I am an open book (to a certain extent =) and that I am as engaged in their academic and extracurricular experiences as they are. I am willing to assist you with identifying the resources that you need to be successful but you must engage in the process for me to help.

I am more than willing to share with my students all of the mistakes that I made in college i.e. failing my first ever course, not participating in an internship until I was in graduate school and being ill prepared for my transition from school to work. I share these experiences not because being self-deprecating in nature is one of my better qualities or because I am so humble that it doesn’t hurt a smidge to relive these memories but because I care and I don’t want my students to make any of the same mistakes that I did. Its’ totally unnecessary and I feel part of my responsibility as an advisor is to share with you these blunders so that you can avoid them. Now, what you choose to do with the information is totally up to you. My point is that if you adhere to my following tips on successfully establishing a mentoring relationship, you will find that you have vast resources to call upon to help avoid some of the more common mistakes that those who have gone before you have most egregiously committed….me included.

The mentor – mentee relationship is invaluable for both parties. I find myself learning from every interaction with former students of mine whom I still maintain a relationship. These students look to me not because I am omniscient but because they believe there is value in having the perspective of someone slightly older share with them their life experiences. As a student, you are uniquely positioned to build incredible relationships with faculty, staff and recent graduates of American University but as you do remember these very important things….

Be Courteous – You would be amazed how far being courteous will get you. Address people in the appropriate fashion based on your relationship with them and your comfort level, however, always, always err on the side of being more formal as opposed to less when reaching out to mentors.

Be Respectful – Peoples’ time is a valuable commodity. As students, you are all extremely busy with internships, work, academics and extracurricular activities. As you ask for time from your mentor, keep in mind that they have pressures and time commitments as well that range from teaching responsibilities, to work obligations and families potentially with children. Communicating that you respect someone’s time will go a long way in making a favorable impression.

Be Genuine – Take interest in your mentor’s life and passions. Hopefully, you all share some things in common which led to your pursuit of the relationship. Be genuine in expressing your interest and your mentor will return the sentiment.

Be Yourself – You are a young adult seeking information in order to make more informed decisions. Humbly present yourself as such, no more or no less and hopefully your mentor will present themselves as the same, someone who has more experience or information and is willing to share.

Don’t Limit Yourself – Mentors will come from all walks of your life and all age ranges. Be open to many mentor-mentee relationships. The more trusted advisors you have the more information you will have access to in order to make your own informed decision.

Pay It Forward – When you are a young professional, give back. You most likely wont have a lot of money (I’m old and I don’t have a lot) but you will always have your time. Invest it wisely by giving it freely. If you are an older student, share your internship, work experience, grad school personal statement writing experiences etc. etc. with younger students. The mission of the School of International Service is to do just that…serve and it can be done by volunteering, running a non-profit, working for the government and by having a cup of coffee at a the Dav with someone interested in learning more about your experiences.

Mentors are a dime a dozen and you would be amazed at how much people enjoy sharing their information with people who are earnestly engaged and excited in what they have to share…but if you don’t ask you won’t know what you don’t know.