Mentoring Can Start at Home

Many organizations, including AAUW, sing the praises of mentoring and all the great things it can do for women. And rightly so — mentoring can help women learn negotiating skills, break into certain professions, and understand how to navigate different situations.

Taking advantage of mentoring opportunities in professional organizations and in the workplace is an effective way to both find and become a mentor, but these opportunities can also be found in another place — within your own family.

Mentoring can start with your sister, cousin, or friend. Many of us have women in our lives to whom we are already very close who could use a role model and a mentor. Remember not to overlook the women right under your nose. You can teach the young women you already know about sexual harassment at school; inspire them to go into science, technology, engineering, and math fields; encourage them to run for student government; and educate them — long before they are 18 — about the importance of voting.

After learning about how valuable mentoring can be to women’s future successes, I began to mentor my cousin’s daughter, Jadine. Although she is only 3 years old, I take every opportunity I have to tell her how smart she is and that she is going to do amazing things with her life — and one day become an AAUW member like me!

Though I joke with my family that I am trying to turn her into a “mini-me,” I do truly hope that I can use my successes and strengths to give her more opportunities. I want her to be a feminist, go to college, speak her mind, and have self-confidence. I also want to help her avoid the difficulties I have faced and reassure her that I will always be there to support her and advocate for her.

As her mentor, not only do I look forward to helping with homework, assisting with her college search, and giving her connections in the workforce, I also plan to teach her about how politics affect her, how to combat discrimination, and how important it is to help others. I look forward to seeing her mentoring her younger cousins later!

Of course, women should continue to mentor their colleagues, local students, and community members, but do not forget about the women closest to you who could also benefit from your guidance and knowledge.

This post was written by National Student Advisory Council member Samantha Abril.