In a sprawling urban environment filled with bustling trains, erratic car horns, and the overlapping voices of hundreds of thousands of people, it can be scary to think that you could still feel alone.
In this case, I’m not talking about the moments of precious solitude where you take time for yourself. Instead, it’s more like that loneliness when things are persistently overwhelming and all you feel is lost.
As many other college students can attest, these are the periods where you need an extra hand to help pick you up: that’s where mentorship comes in.
The word “mentor” doesn’t seem to do justice to the people who bring a sense of guidance and support into your life. Mentors come in all shapes, sizes, and from the most unexpected places. They could be long-term or only appear over five shared minutes, but they indubitably leave an impact that lasts.
So far, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some incredible mentors that have helped me navigate the crazy world that is college. They’ve been there for the big things and for the small things – and they have made sure I’m not going through this alone.
I urge you to connect with everyone you meet, each person has something you can learn from and you never know when someone might become that elusive mentor.
My freshman year, I was nervous as all hell but I knew how badly I wanted to be a journalist. After joining BUTV10’s The Wire, I made a connection with a junior who understood when I was stressed, who believed in me when I didn’t myself, and most importantly sent me gifs of Ansel Elgort when I was feeling down.
Since, then Nebe’s been my rock and reminds me how thankful I am for the COM community. COM’s a vertical situation. The super intimidating seniors with fancy resumes and incredible confidence are there to help you. They get it most, because they were in your shoes just a few years ago.
Mentorship in COM also comes in the form of professors. Yet another analogy: COM’s faculty/student relationships are like elevators. You have professors with Pulitzers, Emmy’s, and stories that you can only dream of. They’ve got accolades, praise, and use awards as their bookends. But they’re also here for a reason, to come back down from these heights and bring students up there with them.
Although I liked Prof. Zuckoff’s JO250 Fundamentals of Journalism class, I knew that I had found a mentor that “got me” when we bonded over some weird medical diagnosis we had in common. Bonding over health issues, am I right?
But since then, it’s a very comforting feeling knowing that no matter how lost I get in the pursuit of my journalism dreams, I have someone who seems to get it and can bring me back on the right track.
Exhibit A (an email from me)
Exhibit B (an email I received)
All in all, mentorship rocks. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, meet new people, and build these relationships that transform you college career and beyond. I promise you won’t regret it. (Also know you can always reach out to your CAs! We’re here for you!)
Peace and love,
Josee