My Mentorship Journey One Year On

Jun 15, 2021   |   Koh Yi Jing

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Oprah Winfrey once said: “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself, allowing you to see the higher part of yourself when it becomes hidden to your own view.” Many a times, when we view ourselves through someone else’s lenses, our strengths, weaknesses, and situation become much clearer from the murky state it was.

When I embarked on this journey by joining the Mentorship Associate Club, I was just a little seedling; clueless of how to grow, how to reach my end goals and how to work on my weaknesses. However, my mentor, Michelle, played a role in helping me sprout into the person I am today. During my first meeting with my mentor, we charted out certain goals I wanted to achieve, be it in terms of my personal growth or career insights, and we planned out the intricate steps needed for progress.

The future was daunting. The prospect of major examinations and entering university and adulthood intimidated me more greatly as each day passed. I was thankful that my mentor always shared with me her experiences and insights that helped me greatly, such as which aspect of university life she enjoyed the most and her working experiences. For instance, she mentioned how important it was to draw boundaries and handle expectations in the working life, and how we should make full use of our university opportunities to explore and gain experience. We often had insightful conversations that I could learn from and from there, even built a meaningful friendship.

Since I was studying for my A levels, one of my goals was to improve my time-management skills. My mentor and I came up with effective yet fun methods to help me keep on track with my schoolwork by coming up with a visually appealing schedule, even rewarding myself with stickers, and working towards rewards.

Amidst all the charting of progress and learning, my mentor and I decided to hold our quarterly catch-up online during heightened alert and even baked together virtually! I really appreciated this friendship and her guidance which helped me gain clarity on what I wanted for my future.

All good things come to an end. However, the end of the programme does not mark the end of our friendship nor our growth journey. This voyage to learn will be a lifelong one and I am grateful to have this opportunity to accelerate and aid my process. Last but not least, to my mentor: Thank you for being my guiding light helping me navigate my way through the jet black sea!

You can be that inspiring, illuminating light that that guides youth during tumultuous times, just like my mentor was to me. If you have passion to inspire youths, and play a part in shaping the younger generation, join us as a mentor in this year’s mentorship programme and be that guiding light for someone. And if you’re like me, feeling lost and overwhelmed, do not hesitate to join the Mentorship Associate club as a mentee.