Article by Tracey Epstein (Q14)

When I first heard about the QUEST mentor program, I assumed it would be just like every other mentor-mentee relationship I’d had in the past: randomly assigned pairs, an email or two sent back and forth, and then we’d both get busy and never talk again. Despite the fact that I have never been part of a strong mentorship relationship in the past, I decided to at least fill out the interest form and see what came of it. Who knew, maybe this program would be different? Maybe it would be more than a line on my resume.

Well, fast forward a few months and now I think this program actually is different. I don’t know if it’s because of the enthusiasm of the Alumni Board and the Mentor Program Planning Committee, or because of the overachieving nature of QUEST students and alumni, but I definitely feel that this program will actually make a difference for both the mentor and the mentee.

I am already feeling inspired to keep in contact (beyond the classic “email or two back and forth”) with my mentee, Aaron. I spoke to him for a bit at the QUEST 20th Anniversary back in April and he told me a little bit about his recent decision to switch majors and his upcoming internship. Hearing about all this brought me back to my own time in college, my uncertainty over my major, and my old concerns about getting relevant work experience. While all that is in my past, the lessons I learned are something that I would like to pass on for Aaron to use in the future.

My biggest wish for the program is that everyone continues to get involved, be proactive, and take advantage of what their mentor or mentee has to offer. If my past mentorship experiences are any indication, you really do get out of it what you put into it. Fortunately, this is a QUEST program, so I am confident that a lot of effort will be put in (I did mention the overachieving thing, right?).