January is National Mentoring Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the power of mentor-mentee relationships in changing the lives of young people. 

Mentorship is an ancient concept — the word comes from the character Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey, a friend of Odysseus who teaches and protects his son, Telemachus. 

Studies show that people who have mentors earn more money, are more organized and productive, and experience less stress than those without. 

What is a mentor? 

A mentor is defined as “an experienced and trusted advisor,” and are typically people who use their knowledge and prior experience to help guide and support another’s person’s professional and career development. 

A strong mentorship relationship is a two-way street, with both mentor and mentee engaging in setting goals and engaging in creative problem-solving.

What makes a strong mentoring relationship?

A strong mentor-mentee relationship is rooted in active listening, positive encouragement, and building a culture of honesty and trust. 

Katherine Klein, a management professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, says that mentees want their mentor relationships to be safe spaces for honest advice. 

“It’s a relationship where one can let one’s guard down, a place where one can get honest feedback, and a place, ideally, where one can get psychological and social support in handling stressful situations,” Klein says. 

Linda Phillips-Jones, Ph.D. has extensively studied mentoring relationships. In her study “Skills For Successful Mentoring,” she encourages both mentors and mentees to practice active listening skills by using nonverbal language like nodding and smiling, avoiding interrupting each other, and summarizing the key elements of each conversation. 

“When you listen well, you demonstrate to your mentors and mentees that their concerns have

been heard and understood. As a result, they feel accepted by you, and trust builds,” Phillips-Jones says. 

Encouragement is perhaps the most valuable tool in mentor-mentee relationships. Regular encouragement keeps mentees focused and inspired, but praise must be sincere and not overdone

Phillips-Jones recommends that mentors and mentees complement each other and provide positive encouragement and appreciation, during both one-on-one conversations and in front of other people. 

“In mentoring, err in the direction of too much praise, rather than too little. Some human development experts recommend a ratio of four or five praises for every corrective remark,” Phillips-Jones says. 

How does the Hunter Watson Memorial Fund use mentors? 

Mentors for the Hunter’s Fund grant program are recruited from pools of donors, volunteers, and past grant winners. They are given guidelines and training to aid them in establishing a fulfilling mentorship experience, while also assisting them in making sure that their mentee’s project grow and expand with the money granted by Hunter’s Fund. 

The grant and mentorship programs are carried out via monthly virtual meetings and consistent, reliable online communications between the grant winner, mentor, and Hunter’s Fund employees.

Interested in applying for a grant or becoming a mentor? Click here to get started. 

Hunter’s Fund

Hunter’s Fund honors the life of Hunter Watson, a young man of extremely diverse talents who was killed at 20-years-old when he was fatally injured as a passenger in a distracted driving collision.

Through distracted driving education and awarding grants to help young people’s involvement in performing arts, music, computer science, and entrepreneurship, Hunter’s Fund empowers young people in their careers and keeps Hunter’s spirit alive.

Does your fraternity or organization want to get involved with Hunter’s Pledge? Click here for more information, or contact Natalie Kwon natalie@hunterwatson.org.