Mentoring Testimonials

Upon being asked to write a paper on what I thought mentoring was, and should be, I decided to go with my first instinct, my experience, my gut feeling.  My experience with mentoring and being mentored has to be the most unique -- from very basic to most confusing.  I ask questions, she asks questions.  I give answers and she gives answers.  It’s a partnership.  I perform my mentee duties, and she performs her mentor duties, and we both learn from them. 

My mentor always knows which buttons to push, to have me challenge myself to become more pro-active and more self-confident, which I believe to be a critical point of the mentoring process.  She has also learned to mentor me according to my personality, and sometimes uses it against me.  Although, I find it to be a somewhat “dirty tactic”, it is appreciated in the end.  My mentor has had to multi-task to be as effective as she has been. She became a friend first, but she is also a teacher, homework checker, and a role model.  She is a Mentor . 

I started out by stating that my mentoring experience was unique.  However, it is not unique at all; it’s one that works.  There are many mentor partnerships that work.  Although, we must keep in mind what it takes for the partnership to be effective.  Both parties should want to ask, and answer questions.  You also need to know your roles,  The mentor needs to want to push, and the mentee needs to want to be challenged.  If this happens, it will be a delightfully positive experience.  You may hear that it takes someone special to be a mentor, but it takes two special people for it to work.

            Wayne Hoffman (Fall ’03) 

I thought the mentoring program worked wonderfully. The idea of having people where you are as a support system was a huge help. It helped to make friends that you can depend on -- someone who understands what you are going through.  Family is there to support you, but like with my family, I am the only one to go to college or finish high school, so they don’t understand the pressure college has. The mentor program helped me out a lot.  I found myself mentoring and helping the new students that I met on my own by chance.  As the program expands I think it will get a lot better. I look forward to becoming a mentor for TTC in the future.  Thank you always. 

          Shawmere Mercer (Fall ’03)

What Mentoring Means to Me

Within the past two years four wonderful people have come into my life, and have opened my eyes and helped me to open my mind to learning. One of these four is (my mentor) a very lovely women who sends me E-Mails over the Internet to ask how I am doing, and if she can assist me in any way.  She has given me the confidence, and shown me I have the ability to achieve when I believed I was limited to my abilities in academics.  She believed in me, and gave back to me something I had lost such a long time ago. -- the ability to believe in myself and for this she as well as the other three will always have a special place in my heart. I will never forget them.  

I knew nothing about being pragmatic, so why would I validate the labels people put on me. All four of these people have help to show me we all can move forward, and achieve greater things in our lives. This is what mentoring means to me, and can mean to you as well. When I was a young boy I didn’t fair too well at school, but now with the help of a mentor I just completed my first semester at CCRI, and received a 4.0 average on the classes I took. Just knowing someone was there for me made all the difference. It gave me confidence when I thought about my mentor knowing she was in the wings when those old doubts tried to creep back in. The tapes I kept playing in my mind reminding me of all the labels put upon me were now wiped clean. Thanks to my mentors. 

Anyone can be a mentor to another person.  A mentor is a friend, and a wise loyal adviser. A mentor can be a teacher, who enlightens, or a friend who listens, and a leader who guides to help you find the way.  All of these qualities can be found in anyone.  It would be my pleasure, and I hope to do the same for someone else someday.

          Robert L.Pippins Jr. (Spring ’04)

It has been my pleasure to be Erika's mentor. She is self-motivated, has a positive attitude and has been diligent in her classes.  I have had the wonderful opportunity to watch her develop self-confidence and increase her self esteem.  I really don't feel that I've done anything more than encourage her and share her feelings of accomplishment.

I shall continue to be in touch with Erika and am available to be of any assistance.

           Lillian Solomon ( Mentor )