Unlocking the Power of Young People Through Mentorship
As the summer comes to a close and many of us get into back-to-school mode, young people across the country will be brimming with excitement at thoughts of what challenges and new opportunities the next school year will bring.
This is a good time to highlight for everyone the importance of mentors and role models for young people. I was lucky enough to have a number of caring adults in my life when I was young and growing up poor in Las Cruces, New Mexico—including my Head Start teacher, the librarians at the public library, and my Girl Scout troop leaders. They really opened me up to new experiences and helped me explore the world around me, fostering a lifelong love of learning.
Head Start was an incredible opportunity. At the time, my brother was in second grade and I was so impatient to catch up to him—to read more, to write well, and to learn new things. So I was extremely excited to be having a real classroom experience.
It encouraged my curiosity and gave me a good grounding in reading, which really gave me a competitive advantage and set me up for success when I entered elementary school.
The public library was also an important part of my early education journey. Where Head Start cultivated my curiosity, the library allowed me to explore it in more depth. It was an aspirational motivator, a place of learning, a refuge for me during difficult times, and my connection to the outside world.
Libraries and librarians were my Google before Google existed. The books I encountered showed me a world of opportunity and introduced me to people in history who also faced isolation, like Clara Barton, George Washington Carver, and Florence Nightingale. I learned their stories and it not only gave me hope, but the path forward. I was never alone when I was with books.
And then there was Girl Scouts. It was Girl Scouts that inspired my love of science, space, and astronomy. It was because of the interest I’d sparked at Girl Scouts that I started taking science and math electives in school.
Because of the confidence I developed at Girl Scouts I realized that I could be confident in terms of doing something that not many girls were doing at the time. That led me to be unafraid to pursue engineering.
Mentors and role models make such a difference in young lives. I’m so grateful for the adults who let me know the possibilities that were out there and helped me discover my strengths.
So as we head into a new school year, I encourage everyone to explore mentoring and working with young people. Regardless of your industry—tech, finance, marketing, medicine, fashion, theater, sports, astrophysics, the sky is the limit—you have knowledge and experience that you can pass along to the younger generation to get them excited about their own futures.
One opportunity out there is to support the local Girl Scouts in your community. Go to girlscouts.org, find your local council, and discover all the great opportunities available to pay it forward for girls. Volunteer to run a workshop, for example, and engage girls in hands-on and experiential activities in your area of expertise. At Girl Scouts, mentors are indispensable.
The impact you can have on young people through mentorship is immeasurable—as is the impact they can have on you.
Mentors see in us what we sometimes don't see in ourselves.? The Girl Scouts were one of the very first foundations I had for finding the strength of my own voice and power.? It's terribly important for girls to see themselves in someone else's face.? We need strong female role models when we're young to help us not only identify possibilities we might not otherwise have imagined, but to learn to navigate the challenges we will face in a world where gender does still mean we don't always get a fair shake.? The interview you did with Stephen Dubner on the Freakonomics podcast this past July, Sylvia,?spoke volumes to the powerful launchpad female mentors can be.? (Here for others who may not yet have had the chance to tap into this: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/girl-scouts/ Lots of "Aha! moments")? Girl Scouts also gave me my first experience as an entrepreneur, and taught me how to set goals and go after them strategically.? (I only wish I had been born a few decades later to take advantage of the incredible STEM program you have now!)? Thank heavens for the volunteers who gave their time to not only shape my childhood, but who set me on a path both a better world scout and tech leader who went on to support and protect children through with UNESCO, and a deeply grateful volunteer and mentor for women and kids at risk myself.? Those roots mean everything!? With gratitude for what you and the legions of other women across the Girl Scouts organization continue to invest in our daughters.
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5 年completely agree. As we move up in our careers, it is so important to look behind us and help younger women and girls on their journey.?
Wonderful and inspiring article, Sylvia, on the remarkable impact mentorship brings into people's lives and the difference it can make. I really appreciate your perspective that mentorship benefits BOTH the mentee and the mentor and that the impact is immeasurable. Thank you for sharing your perspective, Sylvia!
Thank you, wonderful examples of how you benefited from adults and community resources. So many ways to help inspire curiosity and confidence in young people; through formal mentorships, coaching, parent-helper at school, et al, it all makes a difference to the kids - and shapes us too.?
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5 年Excellent post and positive message to all!????????