A Case for Mentorship: “Behind every great mentor, there’s an even greater one.”

“If you can fill the unforgiving minute / with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, / Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it” (R.Kipling)

In his poem, Rudyard Kipling illustrates various instances whereby we, as humans, are given the opportunity to go from ordinary to extraordinary. Highlighting different virtues, the implications are that we must engage on multiple levels, accepting correction & consultation from the more experienced, in order to make those sixty seconds, that build an unforgiving moment, worth the distance run. 

“Everyone who makes it has a mentor.”

History has shown us that behind every great mentor, there is an even greater one i.e. Plato mentor to Aristotle, George Mason mentor to Thomas Jefferson or  Bing Crosby mentor to Frank Sinatra, making it evident that such relationships transform the way we not only view our careers but our lives as a whole, affecting us in profound ways. They act as an inspirational impetus to encourage us to flourish and discover our identities within the safe haven of their counsel, provide us with new learning & growth avenues, and encourage us to “dare beyond [our] means, take risks defying judgment, and stay confident in adversity” (Thucydides).

Indeed, mentoring relationships are designed to create a safe environment where people can craft their aspirations and identities, hone skills, and, equally important, develop transferable qualities such as empathy, the act of listening, the ability to give & receive feedback, and finally the ability to communicate effectively, all of which play an important role in shaping who we are, and consequently, our moments in life.

“Why then do we limit ourselves, not making use of the resources available, to connect with the world? There are millions of mentors out there who have a story to tell. Why not extend the borders of our small world?”

100mentors: A hub for quality mentors.

We deserve an experience where, from a young age, we enrich our classroom seconds by connecting to the world of today, a world populated with mentors ready to share their stories, not only because of the satisfaction they personally receive,  but because they too are given the opportunity to connect with an environment very different to what they are accustomed to:

“I see mentoring as a two-way street: I have more work experience than my [mentee], but my experience does not extend to all aspects of life. I enjoy learning from my [mentee] and often get inspired by our interactions. She has taught me to think ‘outside the box’ and has given me other perspectives on life” (Ragins, 2016).

The extraordinary requires us to move away from the ordinary. It demands that we fill our unforgiving moments with a distance worth running, so that we may engage in a continuous learning journey, shaping and being shaped by those around us.

Empower your students to find their mentors 

100mentors is the platform and network empowering students to connect with mentors on-demand to guide them in their most important academic and career decisions. With 100mentors, schools enable students to open up their circles of influence to include mentors from 300+ universities and 500+ companies across the world, while companies and universities are able to tap into a quality pool of potential program and job candidates.

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