From Mentee to Mentor: What Mentorship Gave Me—
and Why I’m Paying It Forward
By: Ashley Fehringer
Ashley has 10+ years of global early childhood and public health experience, from Peace Corps Guatemala to leading evidence-based programs at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She is currently a training Manager for the Parents Infants and Early Childhood Program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, a Therapist at Aspire Wellness Center, and the Mentorship Program Co-Chair for Women of Peace Corps Legacy, leading professional development programming with RPCVnexus. You can connect with Ashley here on LinkedIn.
Ashley put this article together with inspiration from these wonderful mentors & mentees:
Dr. Sue Griffey, DrPH, BSN
Global Career Strategist and Founder of SueMentors
PC Nurse Practitioner- Nepal (1979-80)/Niger (1981-84)
Dr. Deanna Blackwell, RPCV China
Training Staff Development Specialist for the National Foreign Affairs
Training Center at the Department of State
Dr. Jody Olsen, RPCV Tunisia
Peace Corps Director 2018-2021
WPCL Co-President
I first sought out mentorship when I was finishing up my graduate degree and getting ready to begin my Peace Corps service in Guatemala. I was so excited to begin my service, but I was worried about going away for over two years and losing connection with the career network. So, when I saw that my university was offering a short-term mentorship program, I thought, let’s give it a try. And to my great fortune, I was paired with Dr. Sue Griffey, the founder of the mentorship program at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and someone with a wealth of knowledge in the world of career development. Dr. Griffey worked with me to identify my unique needs and tailored our meetings to target specific goals around keeping me relevant while serving miles away. She encouraged me to utilize tools such as LinkedIn, as not just as a place to keep my resume, but as a place to make and keep connections. She also helped me step out of my comfort zone and author blog posts on my LinkedIn page to share my knowledge and experiences with my network. Because of her, I kept a blog that was both a personal and professional reflection of my time in the Peace Corps, which helped me better tell my story when I was interviewing for jobs after my Peace Corps service. My mentorship experience helped me see that I had a lot to share with the world, and Dr. Griffey helped me learn how to articulate that.
When I recently asked Dr. Griffey why mentorship matters to her, her response captured exactly why her support was so impactful for me. She shared that, “Mentoring has always mattered to me. I wanted to pay forward the opportunities and access I had from my parents educating me (into my first career of nursing). And then, working around the world, I saw in many ways I was carrying info that was never written down – and thus I was able to help people by sharing it with them.”
Dr. Griffey has always said, that mentorship is like the song Hotel California, “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” And over the years, I have been able to reach out for support during important career moments, or even to just to meet up with her for a cup of coffee and a chat. And that is the beauty of mentorship, it is a life long journey and an opportunity for mutual growth, support, and actual friendship. My story is just one of many stories that highlights the importance of mentorship. Mentorship is about more than just skills development. It provides a place for you to belong, gain perspective, and feel supported by someone who just wants the best for you in your professional and personal journey.
Dr. Griffey boils mentorship down to one key word and that’s: CONFIDENCE! She notes that, “Over and over again, the first thing I hear from people that I mentor is how they’ve regained confidence.”
Dr. Deanna Blackwell, RPCV China, echoes the importance of the confidence that they gained from their experience as a mentee through the Women of Peace Corps Legacy’s mentorship program. Dr. Blackwell shares that, “Mentorship supported me by confirming that the industry I wanted to be a part of had a need for someone with my skills.” This type of confidence building is so important for young professionals, especially those who identify as women, who may be experiencing imposter syndrome, or not feeling that you are qualified for the work you are doing. Dr. Blackwell goes on to describe a time when their mentor helped affirm their expertise and unique skill set by asking the right questions and showing attention, curiosity, and affirmation, as a mentor. The experience helped Dr. Blackwell to value the skills that they have and to trust their instincts as a valued member of the professional community.
Dr. Jody Olsen, RPCV Tunisia, and long-term mentor for the WPCL mentorship program, remarks that when working with mentees, she hopes to reinforce the value of the individual mentees’ own strengths during transitional and sometimes difficult times”.
Mentorship also provides community. Dr. Olsen shares that for her, “Mentorship is an opportunity to gain friendships across generations and experiences that broaden my own understanding of myself and others. I feel engaged with communities with which I care deeply.”
Dr. Blackwell shares that for her, mentorship provides space for someone to not feel like they are “going it alone”. Mentors have been there before and can share their experience, so that the next generation does not have to learn things “the hard way”. Dr. Blackwell mentions that, through the sharing of their own life and work lessons, their mentor allowed them to focus on learning other lessons the hard way, but with the benefit of someone who could be sought out for perspective and guidance.
These are all reasons I was inspired me to make the bold move from mentee to mentor. I am midway in my career and often struggle with imposter syndrome myself, thinking, what could I offer to someone else. I am still trying to figure it all out myself. But that is part of the beauty of mentorship, sharing your struggles may help someone else who is going through the same thing. Because of my own experiences with mentorship, I am able to share what I learned from Dr. Griffey with my mentees. Because of my experience finding work after the Peace Corps, I can share with other Peace Corps volunteers what helped me. Because of dissatisfaction with my own career, I can share my journey and the twist and turns that led me to an entirely different career path, where I have found meaningful and fulfilling work.
To all the young professionals, career transitioners, and lifelong learners out there, I encourage you to take the leap and seek out mentorship. Our own mentorship program runs once a year in the Spring in partnership with RPCVnexus, and RPCVnexus has another short-term mentorship program that starts in the fall. You can sign up for this next Fall Mentorship Program here. And a special thanks to all the mentors and mentees that have dedicated their time to learning and growing!
If you have been a mentee and are thinking of making that brave leap to becoming a mentor, please check out our upcoming professional development series, Mentor Conversations (coming this June). Be on the lookout at our website or sign-up for our newsletter for more information on where you can get advice from existing mentors and build your skills to mentor the next generation. You have a story to share, let us help you to get there!