WeSupport: The Power and Value of Mentorship
WeSupport is WISE’s mentorship pipeline for students, alumnae, and professionals focused on creating and fostering authentic relationships integral to personal development and professional success. Tier 1, which pairs underclassmen with upperclassmen, allows for women to expand their networks and explore their fields of interest. Tier 2 pairs upperclassmen with professionals and focuses on fostering professional connections by building an influential network across various industries and roles. WeSupport facilitates three sessions for each pairing, but mentorship is a lifelong journey that continues beyond these three initial sessions.
I’ve finished my 3 sessions, now what?
Below, our WeSupport team reflects on the importance of mentorship, how they developed a relationship with their mentors, and how mentorship has shaped and influenced their lives and paths.
Kate, our Tier Two Coordinator, reflects on the power of mentorship:
Mentorship has exposed me to a handful of new industries and passion projects, built my confidence, improved my ability to reflect, and learn to take risks.
Mentorship has truly built me to be the person I am today. My mentorship journey started way before I even knew what mentorship was. I am the type of person who is extremely chatty, loves to get other people’s opinions, ask questions, and learn about people’s journeys. Because of my personality, many adults in my life naturally became my mentors. Once I realized what mentorship was and the power it has, I started to focus on not only fostering my existing relationship but expanding my network to find people I was inspired by. Mentorship has exposed me to a handful of new industries and passion projects, built my confidence, improved my ability to reflect, and learn to take risks. I encourage you to get excited about mentorship. Find people who inspire you, care about you, and your future. Mentorship is built on the amount of effort you put in, the more you put in the more you get out. A great example of mentorship in my life is a professor I have had. He pushed me to work on my weaknesses, pursue my passion, and introduce me to industries I have always wanted to work in, but never got the chance.
Nicole, our Tier One Coordinator, advises how to approach a mentorship:
The mentors you have truly want you to succeed and will use all the resources they have in order to see you grow.
I never realized just how valuable my mentors have been or even that certain people in my life have been my mentors until I look at the impact they’ve had on me. I’ve gotten mentors from organized programs, like WeSupport, and have had some of my professors be great mentors to me as well. The main piece of advice I would take away from any mentorship relationship I have had is to always have goals. Going into every meeting with my mentor I had a set agenda of my goals to accomplish and questions to ask which allowed for us to have a productive meeting. Some goals I have had for sessions have been to revise and update my resume, learn about my mentor’s career journey and her daily responsibilities, learn how to effectively network, and one of my mentors and I worked together to find work opportunities which lead me on a path toward landing an internship. The mentors you have truly want you to succeed and will use all the resources they have in order to see you grow, but they can’t help you if you don’t tell them you want to learn, so be straight forward and have goals.
Tobe, our VP of WeSupport, describes how she fostered a lasting relationship with her first mentor:
We asked questions and we found common ground and grew together as individuals. Sometimes it’s the stark differences that a pairing has that can create the best pairing situations.
Mentorship has always been super important to me. Funnily enough, I met my first formal mentor in a nail salon. We clicked instantly. She showed me the ropes of a proper mentorship pairing, she helped me to understand that mentorship is a two-way street. If I’ve learnt anything, it’s that. To get the most out of your relationship with your mentor, it doesn’t only take the natural chemistry that you may initially have, but it’s a want to know more. Upon first sighting, my mentor and I had nothing in common, other than the fact that we liked to get our nails done frequently, but that didn’t stop either of us from wanting to learn more about each other. We asked questions and we found common ground and grew together as individuals. Sometimes it’s the stark differences that a pairing has that can create the best pairing situations. So if at first, it doesn’t seem like it would work, keep going at it. You never know what may be sitting right in front of you. Take that chance! Ask questions! There’s a wealth of information and knowledge that every mentor has, because everyone has different experiences, there’s always something to learn.
Stacey, our WeSupport Associate, discusses how her WeSupport mentor has encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone:
My amazing mentor, Emily Herrera, pushed me to unlock my full potential, take risks, and be bold in times when I felt like giving up.
After participating in WeSupport as a Tier One mentee, I strongly believe having a mentor is essential for both personal and professional growth! It’s like having your role model give you personalized advice. WeSupport mentors are genuine cheerleaders and the cohorts develop such a strong sense of community that translates to everything they get involved with. The program is designed to guide you on how to foster a relationship and learn how to make meaningful connections. My amazing mentor, Emily Herrera, pushed me to unlock my full potential, take risks, and be bold in times when I felt like giving up. I was challenged to continue making more connections (stepping out of my comfort zone), to have an open mind when applying for co-op (landed in my dream company!), and realizing my value. I can’t thank my mentor enough for all her helpful advice, confidence boosts, and for constantly inspiring me.
Interested in finding a mentor at Northeastern?
Get involved with WeSupport! Applications for both tiers open on January 17th and close on January 28th.
Fall 2020 Tier One pair Lindsey and Maria describe their mentorship relationship:
“I have really enjoyed having Maria as my mentor so far! She gives me great advice and tells funny stories from her time at Northeastern.” — Lindsey, Tier One Mentee
“I see a lot of myself in Lindsey! I love having her as my mentee and being there for her as I would’ve wanted someone to be there for me. I enjoy helping her through the co-op process and being in college after 7 months in quarantine.” — Maria, Tier One Mentor
While WeSupport focuses on the initial pairing and introduction of mentor-mentee relationships, we encourage you to extend your relationships beyond the three sessions facilitated by WeSupport. Mentorship is an invaluable and transformational journey that is beneficial for all. Follow our social media and subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when applications open. We hope to hear from you soon! Do not hesitate to reach out to us for any questions, comments, or concerns.
Application Links:
- Apply to be in the Tier One cohort here (mentees and mentors): https://wise-neu.typeform.com/to/g3cQKTLV
- Apply to be a Tier Two Mentee here: https://wise-neu.typeform.com/to/jTbGqVV4
- Apply to be a Tier Two Mentor here: https://wise-neu.typeform.com/to/ML3lIKRH
How to contact us:
- Tobe (VP of WeSupport): chima.t@northeastern.edu
- Stacey (WeSupport Associate): pablo.s@northeastern.edu
- Nicole (Tier 1 Coordinator): klaey.n@northeastern.edu
- Kate (Tier 2 Coordinator): mirabelli.k@northeastern.edu
