Portraits of Mentorship

Photography by Chelsie Walter, Kali Robinson, and Yashira Afanador.

Many of us are lucky enough to name 10 to 15 role models that have shaped who we are today. Our educational years mold us greatly in our future professions. Those in the beginning stages of their careers need attention and interest from those around to help them in shaping their goals and reaching their full potential. Through this series, I was able to focus on students pursuing different goals, personally and professionally, to discover what makes the role of mentorship in their lives so special.

From nurses to marketing professionals to legal advocates, Sara, Hannah, and Alesha talked about their college experiences and how different they would be without the mentorship they have been so lucky to have. Their mentors had a lot to say about how they, too, had gained new perspectives from these connections and others. Their stories challenge the traditional way we may see a mentor-mentee relationship of leading by example and following the same particular path. Each of these relationships goes beyond that. The role of the mentor and the mentee goes both ways. As adults and peers, they have each grown together and learned from similar experiences.

Read the Portraits of Mentorship stories: Dr. Karen Bankston & Sara Burke on Nurses' Impact, Dr. Jane Sojka & Hannah Fereshtehkhou on Confidence in Selling Yourself, and Mandy Shoemaker & Alesha Hamilton on Giving Life a Shot.