I have been so blessed this year by the opportunity to mentor a few amazing young women but equally re-charged by the opportunity to connect with a few amazing mentors who have touched my life. What a gift to be able to say thank you and pay it forward.
My first official Chi Omega Pearl Program mentee was definitely a kick-start to finding joy in mentoring and pouring in to this amazing next generation. Lainie Lawrence of Rose-Hulman University is an up and coming superstar that amazes me with her myriad of skills and had me laughing and snorting on most of our Zoom sessions. Lainie is joy and intellect personified. How she accomplishes starring in the school musical, being Rosie the school mascot and majoring in chemical engineering with excellent grades is beyond me. I could barely get all my homework blown-off in time to hit Charley’s on Thursday.
Mentoring is much different than when I was initially mentored. I had two Ivy League mentors in my career, Dr. William Zierden, my SVP at Circuit City who even though I was at least 5 levels below him, saw something in me that made him reach down and nurture my skills. A Yale trained PhD, he was cutting edge in so many things that he did at Circuit City. He continues to inspire me to think outside the box. To reconnect with Dr. Z in January was a highlight of my 2024 already.
My second Ivy League mentor, Chuck Bengochea was a Cornell Academic All American baseball player who was also a brilliant financial mind and a world class leader. He was my ‘boss’ and mentor for 12 years at HoneyBaked. He took me from head of HR to head of the company, appointing me as his successor when he left. He was more than just a mentor to me; he was a father figure, a faith inspiration and a great boss and an example of servant leadership. It was SO great to reconnect with him in February.
Now I get to mentor my own Ivy Leaguer, Gemma Schonken of UPenn/Wharton. What an amazing young woman who, like Lainie, seems to make time to do it all. Chapter president, club swimming and water polo, international student and a summer internship in data analytics in NYC. I get to meet her in June at our Chi Omega convention and I cannot wait to see if she’s actually real or an AI creation of the ideal collegian.
Another pair of great mentors at Circuit City were Mark Arensmyer and Pete Douglas. Mark was my direct supervisor and Pete was my operational dotted line, but I’m not sure that ever registered with him. I was literally a Gumby doll between them, but it taught me a lot and I loved working for both of them. I definitely need to reconnect with them soon.
Mentoring is supposed to be something that we do ‘for’ the next generation and a way to give back, but I have to tell you that I get more out of it than I give, I am positive. If you haven’t actively mentored anyone this year, find someone that you connect with and schedule some time to listen to them. You’ll be amazed who much you learn and how rewarding it can be to mentor someone.