Career Girls

Have You Thanked a Mentor Today? After reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead,” I was inspired to take a closer look at what mentoring had meant to my career. It was her story about a team member that didn’t even realize she was being mentored, that jolted me into asking myself if I had made the same mistake. So I made a list of the teachers, professors, colleagues and supervisors who had helped shape my career over the years. Many were now friends or close acquaintances who have kept in touch. I’d had the opportunity to let them know how important their assistance had been. What about people who I hadn’t realized were mentoring me? Upon reflection, there had also been a few of those and I felt badly for not having recognized their contribution. One of those mentors was a high school Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Grinde, who had encouraged me to join her public speaking and drama classes. I was a very shy and introspective young woman, so the thought of public speaking was terrifying. Of course Mrs. Grinde knew that was exactly what I needed to build my self-confidence. Well, after some gently coaxing, I agreed and the transformation began. I enjoyed public speaking so much that I even entered speech competitions. What a wonderful gift from my mentor. Public speaking became a valuable skill in my career as a scientist and entrepreneur. At this stage in my career, I am happily committed to mentoring others. I received a great deal of help in making a successful career and want to do what I can to help others in return. Fortunately, there are now many organizations that recognize the value in helping young women achieve success and have formal mentoring programs. However, as Sheryl Sandberg pointed out, many mentoring relationships occur organically. So take a moment to reflect on who your mentors have been and let them know it was appreciated.