The Art of Leadership: Mentorship Program

Success Stories

• 

  Brook Dorin

  During my time as a mentor I learned a lot about how to lead change. The experience was so fulfilling and rewarding. Working with MELD students, I was afforded the opportunity to see real change over the course of a semester as the students worked tirelessly to improve their English language skills. It was wonderful to see the impact my mentorship made on the students I worked with. Read More

  ×

  Brook Dorin's Success Story

  During my time as a mentor I learned a lot about how to lead change. The experience was so fulfilling and rewarding. Working with MELD students, I was afforded the opportunity to see real change over the course of a semester as the students worked tirelessly to improve their English language skills. It was wonderful to see the impact my mentorship made on the students I worked with. The course content was so applicable to the leadership required by the role of mentor. The focus of the course was leading change and under that umbrella was a myriad of highly important life lessons that extended beyond the role of mentor and into everyday life. Self-improvement was inevitable while in the course and it was exciting to experience personal changes as well as changes in the students I was mentoring. The course emphasized the shift in the paradigm of leadership towards a leadership style that is rooted in empowerment, collaboration, humility and diversity. As the relationship between myself and my mentees deepened, the importance of these leadership qualities became clearer. By employing these leadership qualities I saw changes in one mentee in particular who seemed to become more invested in the program, more conscientious about her studies and more motivated to improve. It was truly rewarding to witness what I had learned in the classroom become relevant within the mentorship context and make a genuine difference in a student’s life.

  Close
• 

  Jorge Strange

  The Humanities’ leadership and mentorship program gives university students the confidence they need to succeed in the the world. Whether it is a great job, a graduate studies program or life in general, the leadership and mentorship skills that students develop in this program are not only useful, but essential. Read More

  ×

  Jorge Strange's Success Story

  The Humanities’ leadership and mentorship program gives university students the confidence they need to succeed in the the world. Whether it is a great job, a graduate studies program or life in general, the leadership and mentorship skills that students develop in this program are not only useful, but essential. I went into the course with an open mind, knowing that in order to understand the material, I would have to learn the principles of leadership and then remember them when doing my assignments. The greatest part of this course was the fact that, as we learned the theoretical aspect of leadership and mentorship, we got to apply it in a ‘real’ way when we met with our mentees every week. This is the best way to learn any subject because the students apply theory in their weekly practice. When I started the course, I knew that by interacting with my mentees I would learn many things about them – their culture, their likes and dislikes, and of course their career goals. But what I did not know is that I would learn a great deal more about myself as well. Indeed a good leader and mentor is one who is always learning, and one who is aware of his or her own strengths and weaknesses; this course facilitates such awareness. I believe that by contributing to the growth of others, you are contributing to your own growth, and those of us who look for opportunities to learn, more often than not, experience such growth. But there is a point in the learning process when you feel the need to share your learning experiences with others, and that is the essence of leadership and mentorship. This program is nicely designed to give the students the fundamentals of leadership and mentorship. Moreover, the in-class participation and activities get the students practising and drawing out of themselves their own leadership and mentorship skills which they can start using immediately to help mentees overcome their challenges as new students. The greatest thing about this program is meeting many like-minded people, mentors like yourself who appreciate the potential there is for personal growth when cultivating new relationships and thus expanding your world. In my personal life, the mentorship experience helped me overcome some pretty serious challenges. It was right at the beginning of the winter term, when I began the course, that one of my children was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Given the stress and emotional pressure brought about by the circumstances, it didn't take long for me to consider withdrawing from school altogether. However, this leadership course reintroduced me to some concepts that allowed me to get a different perspective on my life, and thus I decided to stay and complete the school term. I'm happy to report that my child has fully recovered, and that I also graduated this spring. I am grateful for the dedicated supervision I received from the profs, teaching assistants, and senior mentors.

  Close

• 

  Ryan Perez

  The mentorship program is an invaluable experience for both the mentors and their mentees. The opportunity to offer guidance and support to international students coming to McMaster University on both academic and extra-curricular levels is something that I am proud to have been a part of. What was truly unique about the program was that it offered its mentors a chance to enrich their leadership skills and abilities through the teachings of dedicated and knowledgeable instructors - a unique course offering unlike anything I have ever taken. Read More

  ×

  Ryan Perez's Success Story

  The mentorship program is an invaluable experience for both the mentors and their mentees. The opportunity to offer guidance and support to international students coming to McMaster University on both academic and extra-curricular levels is something that I am proud to have been a part of. What was truly unique about the program was that it offered its mentors a chance to enrich their leadership skills and abilities through the teachings of dedicated and knowledgeable instructors - a unique course offering unlike anything I have ever taken. Among many things, I discovered and learned the value of cross-cultural interactions while working with my mentees; it was through these exchanges that I learned how to enhance their experience and create a mentorship plan that they could find valuable and a source of motivational support. Although the year is over and I have graduated from McMaster University, I still stay in close contact with my mentees who I can say have now become good friends. I strongly believe that this program greatly improves the university experience of its mentees within a distinct, supportive environment while empowering the leadership abilities of its mentors – a program that only further contributes to McMaster’s reputation as a top university.

  Close
• 

  Devra Charney

  I signed up for Leadership: The Art of Mentorship because I was interested in helping MELD students improve their written and conversational English, learn to navigate the university system, and understand where to get help when they needed it. Over the course of my mentee meetings, I had the chance to apply many of the leadership skills I learned in class. One of the most valuable lessons I took away was that good leaders frame interactions with gratitude. Read More

  ×

  Devra Charney's Success Story

  I signed up for Leadership: The Art of Mentorship because I was interested in helping MELD students improve their written and conversational English, learn to navigate the university system, and understand where to get help when they needed it. Over the course of my mentee meetings, I had the chance to apply many of the leadership skills I learned in class. One of the most valuable lessons I took away was that good leaders frame interactions with gratitude. Letting people know that you value their efforts can make them feel more connected to goals and inspire them to overcome obstacles. Not only did my mentee’s written and oral communication skills improve throughout our sessions, but her confidence also increased. It was incredibly rewarding to know that I was helping my mentee adjust to life at McMaster.

  Close

• 

  Kameel Dixon

  This mentorship experience allowed me to learn so much about myself, which contributed to my overall growth as a person. The emotional intelligence lectures, discussions and activities helped me to identify the personal qualities that made me a better mentor and leader. For instance, I actively pursued the reflective leadership practice, writing frequent reflections about the mentorship experience, and tracking my short and long-term goals; not only do I have a written record of events, but I am now able to better understand the role that my emotions play in how I view those goals and how I interact with others. Read More

  ×

  Kameel Dixon's Success Story

  This mentorship experience allowed me to learn so much about myself, which contributed to my overall growth as a person. The emotional intelligence lectures, discussions and activities helped me to identify the personal qualities that made me a better mentor and leader. For instance, I actively pursued the reflective leadership practice, writing frequent reflections about the mentorship experience, and tracking my short and long-term goals; not only do I have a written record of events, but I am now able to better understand the role that my emotions play in how I view those goals and how I interact with others. In addition, developing my social awareness skills was critical to being an effective mentor; I was able to understand my mentees’ perspective and to empathize with them when they were experiencing difficulties in their courses. I was able to keep open the lines of communication and build a positive relationship with them, all of which made it possible for me to help them achieve their goals. In essence, tapping into your emotional intelligence gives you the opportunity to improve yourself. Emotional and social awareness are critical leadership attributes. Through this experience you become aware of your strengths and weaknesses in order to make make your weaknesses part of your strengths.

  Close