Dear An,

First off- I want to say thank you. You don’t know how much of an impact you’ve made on me over the past year, and that’s why I’m writing this to you. I’m well aware that I can walk over to Barnes and tell you everything I’m about to say in person, but you know how sappy I am- therefore, I’d rather make a ~dramatic~ blog post about it because I love you so much.

I want to start off by saying how insanely nervous I was to receive a mentee. I’m not kidding- I was so worried you wouldn’t like me and was truly scared I would be too over-the-top for you. I still probably am, but at least I know you’re okay with it. When I met you for the first time on your orientation day and we hugged and talked about school, I knew we were going to be a good pair. I was so excited to move in and start hiking and doing yoga- or so I thought (thanks for listing those things, I still love you).

I remember choosing mentees- I knew from the very start that I needed you in my family tree. Like I mentioned before, I was truly afraid to be a mentor because I was nervous we wouldn’t click or I’d let you down in some way. I knew that I had to be your support system, and ready or not, I was going to be that. As we started talking, the nervousness hanging over my head went away and excitement filled me. I was so excited to add to our family tree and have a friendship, rather than a typical mentor-mentee relationship.

From going on little coffee dates to taking little road trips together, our friendship is something I am so thankful for. You have the ability to take any situation and make it comforting and positive. I truly admire your fun personality and ability to make friends with ANYONE you talk to. I might not say it all the time, but I am so proud of everything you’ve done this year. You are going to do amazing things (you already are), and I can’t wait to be here every step of the way to watch you grow. You’re an incredible leader, and watching you participate in things you’re passionate about blows me away.

I’ve learned a lot as a mentor, and I owe it to you. I strive to help in any way I can, and I thank you for teaching me lessons as the year continued on. I’ve also learned some situations can’t be fixed, and not everyone has the same way of working through things. I am proud to be your mentor, and I can’t wait to see how much of an impact you make on your own little mentee (we’re gonna be the cutest fam).

Though we don’t talk every single day, I know we’re always there for each other and that is rare. Thank you for helping me be not only a mentor but a friend to you- I love you, boo boo.

P.S. thanks for singing all of your sentences with me and being as loud and insane as I am

 

 

Mentee to Mentor

As a member of LAS, each person receives a “mentor.” This person guides you through your first year of college, answers any questions you have, and is basically just a shoulder to lean on when you need one. I received a mentor when I got to CMU, and I was so excited to have someone to support me through my first year at college.

Now, going into sophomore year, I am ecstatic to receive a “mentee” of my own. As a tradition in LAS, it is a normal thing to keep yourself hidden until you plan a big reveal to your new mentee. I am so excited to reveal myself to my mentee and form a close relationship with her. Helping people is one of my passions, and I am so incredibly ready to do whatever it takes to make sure my mentee feels at home during the course of her freshman year!

In our LDR200L class, the TA’s prepared a workshop demonstrating how to be the best possible mentor we can be to the incoming LAS cohort. We were put into groups and received sheets of paper in which we were instructed to write down ten things we wish we would have known coming into college. After writing them, we discussed our answers and reflected back on the year. Some of the things I wish I knew before coming to Central were:

• Not everyone will be your best friend, so don’t force relationships
• Skipping class is never a good idea
• Bring lots of storage containers to keep things organized in your dorm
• Your planner will become your best friend
• Only do things that benefit you- if they bring you down, don’t continue doing them

After reflecting back on the mentor workshop, I have many things that I want to accomplish as mentor. I want to be there for my mentee whenever she needs me, even if I am busy doing something. I also want to make sure that I keep in contact with her and make sure that I am not distant- especially when she is starting a complete new chapter of her life! Lastly, I want to make sure that I can be the best mentor I can be to my new pal, and I want to make sure she knows that she can come to me whenever she needs anything.

Mentor/Mentee retreat