The unbearable lightness of Mentoring

Author’s suggestion: Listen to this song to accompany your reading (originally taken from one of my favorite playlists)!

There will be several times throughout our lives when we need to make decisions that will determine our future. Some people choose to bear the burden of such decisions mostly alone. Others prefer to inform these (potentially life-changing) decisions by discussing, asking questions, and learning from others’ experiences. It’s up to you to select how you will reach your life milestones when it comes to your academic and career choices, but Greek Women in STEM can be your ally, should you need one. We are here to hold anyone’s hand when they arrive at a crossroads regarding future steps. 

Building a mentoring relationship can sometimes feel daunting, we know! However, before hesitating about becoming part of a mentoring program like ours, please take a moment to think: what will happen if…? Assess the pros and cons. For example, how can a simple “Hi, I am Tatiana. I feel I need some advice on this dilemma. Could you please help?” have a negative outcome? You guessed right, it’s almost impossible! All our mentors are volunteers who consciously took the time to go through our application and onboarding process to guide someone else because they have been in that position themselves. You just need to ask, and someone will have the right answer for you. If not, you can always ask someone else, and they might have a different answer. The more insights you get, the more informed your decisions will be. Mistakes might happen along the way, and that’s part of the process! There are no “musts”, just trial and error until you reach what feels right! 

By following this logic, the burden of your decision will be lightened. At the end of the day, you choose if you will face your future as a burden or with lightness, and both options are equally respected.

With the above in mind, we decided to thematise February as ‘mentoring month’, offering you curated content, no matter what your background is:

• For those who wonder about the value of mentoring, we launched a podcast episode on the 1st of February a podcast episode. Listen to success stories from our mentees: 
  How did they know they needed a mentor?
  How did they build their mentoring relationship, and what impact did this have on their decision-making?
• A series of articles will be published throughout the month: Can Siri be a mentor? What does the Witcher have to do with mentoring? How to plan your mentoring sessions? Let’s also talk about mental health in the STEM fields and things to know before starting a PhD.
• A social media campaign to get to know our STEM mentors who volunteer their time to help you through your academic and professional journey, including an Instagram Q&A session.
• We will wrap up on the 28th with a free webinar, featuring researchers from different backgrounds, who will talk about their professional paths and share their tips for success.

Stay tuned and always remember:

Sometimes it’s all about a simple question! So, why don’t you just ask?