First of all happy 2011 everyone! With the arrival of the new year, my mind turns to thoughts of transitions, and specifically for this post the transition from being a mentee to a mentor. As a student at UCLA Anderson, it is easy to find mentorship. Anderson alumni are always open and generous with their time and willingness to help. There are formal programs such as Vistage which is available through the EA. We have also been fortunate to have prominent business leaders come speak to us and enlighten us with their experiences. Speakers from the past quarter include Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com and Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour.
Finally there is also a mentorship dynamic between the first and second year students. Through club leadership, the ACT program and informal discussions, this adds to the existing collegial and supportive atmosphere at UCLA Anderson. To date I have benefitted greatly from all of the above, but now as a second year with 6 months left before graduation (wow where does the time go?!), I feel a shift in dynamic as I am in more of a position to share some of my experiences and networks I have been able to build to first years and prospective students. Being able to help colleagues and vice versa is key to any type of success and feel fortunate to to be in such an environment.
--JP
~A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. ~ Oprah Winfrey
