Mentorship Found Me Before I Sought It

In junior high math class, we were allowed to move at our own pace.

A friend and I finished early. Instead of assigning extra problems, our teacher asked us to support classmates who were behind.

That was my first taste of mentoring—and I discovered how energizing it was.

Later, as a graduate student, I worked closely with first-year engineering students. Over time, that expanded into faculty development, learning communities, and mentoring across multiple career stages.

Here’s what experience has taught me:

Mentorship is less about instruction and more about presence. It’s not supplying answers—it’s helping someone surface their own.

The most transformative conversations rarely involve telling. They involve listening, reflecting, and building trust.

I never set out to build a career around development.

But in hindsight, mentoring is the thread running through it all.

Who helped you recognize strengths you couldn’t yet see?