Do you currently have a mentor in your life who you look up to? Maybe you are giving back by serving as a mentor yourself! Mentorship is a great way to prioritize both your social and career wellness by building authentic and supportive relationships.
A mentor can be described as, “Someone who might help you work through challenges or help you to make a decision through conversation, sharing experiences, and dedicated time building a relationship. A mentor can help you advance your career goals by tapping into someone who has more knowledge, experience, and/or lived perspective of that particular area than you possess yourself,” (Brine, 2020).
Having a mentor can also help you expand your network, navigate a new experience, boost your confidence, and potentially open up new opportunities. Mentorship can be formal or informal. Additionally, mentorship is mutually beneficial for both the mentor and the mentee. In other words, you both gain something from the mentoring relationship and you both make meaningful contributions!
If you don’t currently have a mentor, the first step is to identify someone – and then ask them! There are plenty of resources, templates, and examples (like this one) to help guide this conversation. Once you do have a mentor, it can be helpful to define expectations and maintain consistent communication. There are also many opportunities available to get involved in mentorship here at Ohio State!
If you are interested in learning more or getting involved in mentorship, be sure to check out the following resources, opportunities, and student organizations:
- MCC Mentorship Programs
- APIDA Peer Mentorship Program
- First Generation Student Community Mentorship Program
- Latinx Peer Mentorship Program
- OSQ* Peer Mentorship Program
- Sankofa Community Mentorship Program
- Women’s Community Mentorship Program
- 1girl
- Big Buckeye Lil’ Buckeye Student Organization
- CSE/CIS Peer Mentors
- Empower Mentoring
- FIRST Alumni and Robotics at Ohio State
- Fostering Achievement Network
- Transfer Peer Mentoring Program
- Fisher College of Business Undergraduate Mentor Opportunities
- The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Mentoring Resources and Opportunities
- College of Arts and Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success Mentoring Programs
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion LASER Mentoring Program
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion LSAMP Mentoring Program
- Knowlton School Mentor Program
- College of Social Work Student-Alumni Mentorship Experience (SAME)
- Ladies of Leadership
- Leadership Initiatives for Women of Color
- LiFEsports
Additional opportunities in Columbus:
- MENTOR Central Ohio
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio
- Femergy
- Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring
- Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) Community Connectors
- Simba Mentoring Program – Franklin County Children Services
- Dress For Success Women2Women (W2W) Mentoring Program
- Comprehensive list of programs in Columbus: https://cap4kids.org/columbus/teen-resources/mentoring-leadership-programs/