Mentoring programs are very popular and spread across a wide range of disciplines and industries. Students of all ages can typically find a program in which they can be a mentee or a mentor. Throughout my four years in high school, I served as a mentor for a 5th - 8th grader. Now, in college, I have gained some important mentors in my life that are helping me achieve my goals. Based on this experience and what I have seen in other students and individuals who have taken part in such programs, they produce a lot of social, academic, and professional benefits.

In regard to benefits for the mentee, they have self-selected or have been assigned to someone with similar interests that can serve as a role model for them. With younger children and students such programs are best for improving/maintaining their behavior and promoting good academic skills for them to do well in school. As a mentor, I was able to spend time with the student I was paired with and answer questions she has about life, school, etc. I was able to fill in any gaps she may have had and saw improvements in her character throughout our time together. Children whom have mentors are less likely to drop out of school as it boasts their self-esteem and pushes them to do well. Mentors are also able to help develop a child's interpersonal skills such as relationship-building, communication, and behavior in different settings.

For high school and college students, mentors can help with college and/or career advice while giving them tips to help them carry themselves in a professional manner. Other important advice that mentors of such students can provide include study, interview, and resume skills. One of my current mentors has assisted my professional growth. I am now more confident with the resume I present, how I conduct myself in interviews, and my networking capabilities in-person and through LinkedIn. Such skills are significant in becoming an adult either in industry, academia, entrepreneurship, etc. Overall, having a solid mentor can encourage an individual, improve their confidence, and provide clarity in regard to their future and what they want to achieve.

On the other end, mentors also gain a lot from taking part in programs where they mentor a younger individual. Such benefits include gaining new perspectives and insights, motive for self reflection, feeling as though they are adding value for a better tomorrow, etc. Motivation to self-reflect is arguably one of the greatest benefits of serving as a mentor. It gives the mentor the opportunity to sit down and think about how they have led their lives and how their actions have impacted those around them. If an individual recognizes that they have done something that they are not proud of, they wouldn't want to set such an example for the person they are mentoring.

Previously as a mentor and even now in some of the mentor roles I have been taking on, I find time to reflect to be quite important. I question myself and whether or not I am setting a good example for not only my mentee, but any younger individual who sees me as a role model. There are some things that I have noticed in myself that I may not have necessarily been proud of or something that I thought I could do a lot better with. These moments of reflection have carried with me into other situations in which I needed to take some time to think about the path I am on and how I can be an effective leader.

For anyone who is a mentee, a mentor, or maybe even both - I hope you value that relationship and that it teaches you a lot about yourself. The benefits earned from mentor programs are foundational in personal and professional growth.