A mentor is someone who is there to help support, challenge and give vision to a student. The act of mentorship can help not only the student being mentored but also the mentor themselves. A student must also feel they are being encouraged and at the same level as the mentor, never that they are less or being looked down upon. A mentor must always balance the amount of support and challenge given as to not push a student away. Understanding a student fully helps mentorship become more meaningful. The role model aspect of mentorship allows a mentor to grow and feel satisfaction in what they are doing as well as provide comfort to the person being mentored. A student should be held accountable for their actions and to improve, but always feel if they need something the mentor will be there to assist and guide them with support or advice.
Application:An application of mentorship is my role at the Career Center. I act as a mentor to any student who enters the Career Center. I help them with whatever career related needs they have and then lead them through the process to succeed. I often explain terminology or where I have gotten my information from to help them feel comfortable and understand the topic further rather than just prescribing information. I also do a lot of listening in order to fully help the student. A lot of times students who come in don’t really know why they came, so making sure they fully talk out their concerns is very important to ensure their success. When reviewing resumes and cover letters, it is extremely important to stay encouraging and positive, so the student doesn’t feel defeated or wrong at any time. My role has also helped me grow as a leader and mentor. I found my interest in higher education from the Career Center and feel accomplished every time I help a student with a document and hear they landed their dream job. I love being a part of their journey.
Assessment: Entry and Exit Tickets (Barkley & Major, 2016 pp. 91-95)A form of formative assessment that the Career Center does is an exit survey. We have students fill out a quick exit survey at the end of their time at the center so that we can improve on any comments they leave and see if they got all their questions answered. Students seem to like it because they feel their voice is heard, and the mentors get to see what to improve or keep doing.