By dictionary definition, a mentor is simply a person who is “an experienced or trusted adviser.” It is someone who “… trains and counsels new employees or students.” However, these words place limitations on what a mentor can truly be. 

Never once in these definitions does it say that a mentor is someone who you look up to or someone that you respect. The words in these definitions fall short in describing what a mentor is. In all honesty, all words fall short of what a mentor can be to a person.

Everyone has or has had a mentor, whether they can readily identify who that person is or they cannot even identify one person. Mentors vary between occupations, interests, goals, visions, etc. However, there is one thing that is true among mentors across all fields – they want to see you succeed because they know the feeling of success.

A word, originating from a trusted friend of Odysseus named Mentor in Homer’s The Odyssey, has now become a universal word that has many different meanings. To some, a mentor is a friend, similar to Mentor in the famed epic. To others, a mentor is someone who offers guidance and advice in both good and bad times. 

To me, a mentor is someone that offers their wisdom in every situation. It is someone who knows the struggles and only wants to help others overcome the same struggles. A mentor is someone that allows you to feel heard and valued, even when they are explaining that your idea or suggestion is not what is needed in the situation. I am very fortunate to have many, many mentors in my life who offer their guidance in every situation with which I am faced. 

Two of my mentors that I will cherish for the rest of my life for their guidance are Mr. Gerald Decker and Ms. Jan Morgan-Swegle. Last November, I was fortunate enough to be selected by my Media Club advisor to do a story for Veteran’s Day featuring Mr. Decker’s military service in Vietnam. The story was a huge success.

Later in the month, after the story had been published, Mr. Decker reached out to me and another writer from The Teen Scene to do a story in partnership with Duke Energy. I and the other writer decided to do a series of six articles and six podcast episodes for this project.

Fortunately for us, the story was a success, claiming the second place spot for our monthly article viewership. It was then that Mr. Decker offered me the chance to become part of his select group of writers for The Teen Scene. I accepted with enthusiasm and gratitude. 

From there, I met Ms. Jan and the rest of the writers. We found camaraderie and friendship in the projects on which we were working for this year’s The Teen Scene and Cape Fear Voices Awards Banquet. 

Every time I would show up to one of our meetings, Mr. Decker and Ms. Jan would offer their expertise in whatever project we were working on that week. I do not believe that I will ever forget those Saturday’s at the Leland Library. 

Throughout the rest of the year, Mr. Decker and Ms. Jan would constantly offer their guidance on any project that I turned in to them. I remember, in particular, one scenario just after I became editor for the paper. We had a meeting during which I discussed my lofty goals for The Teen Scene. Mr. Decker and Ms. Jan listened to me and then offered their ideas based on their own experiences that allowed my goals to potentially be even more successful.

The words “thank you” fall short in showing the gratitude that I feel every time that I speak with Ms. Jan or Mr. Decker. They are mentors that I will never forget. The impact they made in my life is shaping who I am as a person. Their guidance, which I will never forget, is shaping me into the mentor that I hope to be in the future. 

So what about you? Who is your mentor? If one does not come to mind, who has helped shape you into the person who you are today because they offered their wisdom? 

A mentor is so much more than a trusted or experienced adviser. A mentor is someone who does so much more than train and counsel. It is someone who impacts you because of their wisdom and guidance at no benefit to themselves. So, never forget your mentors.