A Importance of Mentor Selection in High School

The transition from high school to college isn’t always an easy one. Living away from home, the newfound freedom coupled with a whole new world of people can be anything from unnerving, to misleading. There are various obstacles that need to be overcome and important decisions and choices to make. However colleges, especially those like DePauw, are places of tremendous opportunity and learning for those who choose wisely and get a firm, focused grasp of the situation. The years spent in college are not only exciting and fruitful, but are often the pivotal years of one’s life.

It is in college that a person chooses the path that he or she is going to follow, and this journey starts when that person first walks onto campus as a first-year student. Thus it is essential that these very choices are made intelligently and this is where the role of the mentor comes into play.

A mentor by denotation is a trusted counselor or guide.’ It is the mentor who, if he or she chooses to, can play a very important part in the incipient stages of college life. I personally am a great believer in the idea of a ‘peer mentor’ who I consider to be much more influential than adults who, in more cases than not, are looked upon with rebellion, even if the advice and guidance offered is identical to that of the peer. The mentor can motivate a student to perform to his or her potential in academics, extracurricular activities, and to take an active interest in the college community. Thus, guidance and encouragement are the primary responsibilities of a mentor. However, there are other things whose importance cannot be underplayed. A mentor can not only be a guide but can also be a close friend and confidante. He or she can be the one to introduce a new student to all the resources and facilities that the college has to offer. A mentor can also be a way to get to know and interact with the upperclassmen whose experiences, stories and advice can be a source of otherwise unattainable knowledge. The possibilities are tremendous.

What makes me a strong candidate? As School Captain I was regarded as an elder brother who many of the younger students aspired to. Many of my peers came to me with their problems and looked to me for help and support. Also, the many instances when I was not the one giving the advice; but, receiving it from them. Another important aspect which Nathan, a present mentor who spoke at the information session, placed great emphasis on – how much a mentor can learn from his or her first-year group. In college, I am involved in various activities on campus and yet have managed to remain on track with my academics. But, all this and more is already present on the resume I have submitted earlier. Therefore, I would rather mention what, in my opinion, is the main reason that I consider myself to be a strong candidate for mentorship – my desire to be one. I want to be mentor. I can speak from personal experience that I have, in the past, been greatly influenced by many of my friends. In some cases it was their fierce determination to do well academically that stirred the competitive spirit in me and drove me to achieve what I wasn’t sure I could. In other cases, it was sometimes their behavior or their approach to a specific matter, and at other times just the way they carried themselves and led their own lives. Occasionally when I got too intensely involved in doing too many things, it was just the way in which they helped me break out of it and relax. But in all these cases, they had a positive influence on my life and I have memories to last me forever. I would like to be this positive influence as a mentor. The importance of a mentor can never be exaggerated and I know that I have it in me to be a good one.

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