How My First Mentorship is Going!

When you first think of the word mentor, what do yo think of? For me I think of someone in your field who’s successful, encouraging, busy, and kind of stern. Everyone has their own idea of what a good mentor is because everyone has different end goals. Different people want to learn different things and use them in ways that may or may not be the same, so a mentor has a different meaning for certain people.

When I heard that in the WIN program, I would be getting a mentor I was excited and a little nervous. I had never had a mentor before and didn’t know what to expect. As I gave it more thought I asked myself, what was I looking for in a mentor? The answer? I wanted a mentor who was kind but expressed what they wanted or needed; I wanted a mentor who could guide me and show me how to conduct myself in the field I was going into. To me Ms. Ernise did just that! Today I am briefly going to talk about my experience with my first mentor and how everything is going so far.

My experience with Ernise has been amazing! Initially, before meeting her, I was so nervous about who my mentor would be and was hoping to get paired with someone I could learn from and have a casual yet professional relationship with. When we first met over zoom all my worries faded and she greeted me with such kindness. It was the type of kindness that was so familiar it calmed me down instantly and later motivated me to do work she would be proud of. Thus far our relationship is growing and the work that we do together will reflect the dedication we both have to making difference.

To close us out I want to specifically talk about the program that gave me the chance to have my first mentor. Women into Networking has given me the space to explore different possibilities and this mentorship is one of them. I have learned so much in this program, and it has inspired me to want to do better in my endeavors as a communicator. WIN in some ways, is my beginning in the PR field and for that I am so grateful. I hope the rest of my time here continues to be filled with learning opportunities and self discovery.