The Mentor Program is really exciting and fabulous here at Fresno State. This is a pilot
program that we launched a couple of years back and the program consist of MPPs that
serve as mentors and staff people who serve as protégés. They’re paired across the
University community and provide an opportunity a formal organized structural opportunity,
that is, to grow and develop here, at Fresno State.
The program includes a real deep connection and passion with the mentors. There's also
a faculty sponsor that helps coordinate the program. I encourage anyone who has an opportunity
to get involved to really get involved. This is a great chance to grow your career here
at Fresno State.
I believe it is very important, because as we go about our natural life circumstances
or work situations, it's always nice to have someone that you can talk with, especially
someone who has had a similar experience; I'm going on the right path, suggest this
path, what things have you done that you thought were successes and were not successes, and
just to have a sounding board, a place to put the things that we need to discuss and
kind of a safe environment, if you will.
The Mentor Program, I think, gave me a great opportunity to learn from the best. I was
able to meet very successful and very respectful people here on campus, and hear their personal
stories. And hearing those personal stories was very inspirational, and is something that
I think one can't learn from the textbooks.
I think what helped me build a broader network across the campus. Working for Auxiliary Services,
I know a lot of people on our side of the road, sort to say, but I was open to meeting
a lot of people in our meetings for the Mentor Program, and it helped me build those relationships,
strong relationships with people that I may have not run into on campus.
For me, being in the Mentor Program, really helped me focus in on goals for myself and
my future. Oftentimes we get just caught up in day-to-day life that we forget that we
need to take the time to focus on what we are doing and not just the big tasks. Within
that, I was also able to take the larger goal and break it into smaller priorities, giving
me the ability to see accomplishments and make myself accountable to the mentor. As
we met, we would discuss what had been accomplished from the last meeting, so it was really good.
What I liked best, I think of the fact that successful employees across the campus from
different backgrounds and different departments, that they would take their time to share their
insight and their unique perspective on a variety of different topics. I guess that
just goes to show how invested the University is in training and guiding and developing
the people from within. And I find that very humbling and also very privileged and I'm
thankful for that.
I enjoyed hearing the guest speakers and talking about the impact that mentoring has had on
them, talking about the journeys that they went through, that they've gone on and what
has gotten them to where they are at today. It was a great experience, being able to see
everyone check their job titles at the door, and come in and work collaboratively for a
common goal. The Mentoring Program at Fresno State, is
a great initiative to assist professionals in their perspective areas to get to know
other professionals in other units of the campus. I certainly have made a lot of new
friends that I didn't know, you know, from across campus. Working in Academic Affairs,
I don't necessary often see people working in other units. So it was really important
from that perspective for individuals to network and to get to know what happens on the other
side of campus.
I think it helped me kind of slow down and kind of pause and take a second look at some
short-term and long-term goals and kind of helped me define how to reach those short-term
and long-term goals. I have met most of my short term goals, and I'm still working towards
my long-term goals, but I'm on the right path.
I never felt more connected to the campus as I do now. I felt that my mentor has the
best interest in helping me develop professionally and I'm looking to staying connected with
her for a lifetime.
It’s about family. It’s about Fresno State family. And through the mentoring process,
those that are looking for help, looking for assistance, it’s a great way to be able
to give back. I think that a critical phrase is to be able to give back. It’s not always
about older people helping younger people, but it is about more experienced people helping
those that are less experienced. And at Fresno State, when you talk about staff mentoring,
staff development … the more you mentor, the better the staff gets.