NYSFAAA Region VI Mentoring Plan

NYSFAAA Region VI Mentoring Plan Presented by: Angelica Esparza – Academic Finance Corporation (AFC) Melanie Williams-Bethea – Teachers College, Columbia University

Mentoring can HELP! • Does your day end like this? • Is this your last memory of the week?

Background • “The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of one’s self to others.” Pierre Teilhard DeChardin, Summer 2003 Bally Total Fitness • We do not often think about it, but we are often mentoring as parents, friends, supervisors, and colleagues.

Mentoring A Mentor is: • A trusted counselor or guide, tutor or coach • A relationship in which a person with experience and wisdom guides another person both personally and professionally

Mentoring There are many kinds of mentor(s): • Elder or more experienced person • Role models • Long term mentors • Short term mentors • Peer mentors • Co-Mentors

What Mentors Do • Offer challenging ideas • Help build self-confidence • Create a support system for the mentee • Confront negative behaviors and attitudes • Teach by example • Provide growth experiences • Explain how the FA Industry works

Attributes of Successful Mentor • Energy and has Interpersonal skills • Dependable and a Positive Role Model • Self-Confidence and Leadership • Sense of Humor • Empathetic • Open minded • Committed

Characteristics of Successful Mentor • Role Model • A model for civil and appropriate behavior and attitudes • Someone that people admire or want to be like • Has qualities that you desire for yourself • Expands your perspective • Teacher • Helps to acquire knowledge, information, or skills • Demonstrates how to do things

Characteristics of Successful Mentor • Support • Boosts your self-esteem • Supports your efforts • Listens to your ideas and concerns • Expresses belief in your abilities and provides constructive criticism when necessary • Resource • Provides opportunities to try new things • Introduces you to new people, places, interests or ideas • Encourages you to approach other people as resources • Suggests new sources of information

Mentoring - Starting the Process • Keep expectations realistic • Rome was not built in a day • Keep the “door” open • Check-in with the person often • Get to know each other • Sometimes it is not labeled “mentoring” • Sometimes it is a “relationship”

Schedule for Mentoring • In the beginning, can be more informal • If helpful, talk more often • Conversation allows for more latitude of discussion • Do it on a regular basis; sometimes difficult to find the right time

Mentoring – The Process • Most important – Development of “Trust” and Confidentiality • Learning to “Trust” • Developing a relationship • Establishing a relationship

As a Mentor • Goals – high level of trust • In any relationship – first trust, then friendship • Phone versus e-mail • Imperative – respect other’s opinion • Slowly versus Quickly

As a Mentor • Maintain a steady presence • Be careful not to be judgmental • Try to be available • Stay involved in organizational activities • These activities create opportunities for someone to ask your opinion

As a Mentor – Some Hints • Don’t be afraid to be a mentor. Any level of professional can be a mentor. • Professional versus Personal issues • Clarify expectations • Are there time limits? • Praise and Criticism • Be willing to provide support despite our differences

Region VI Mentoring Plan • Recruit Mentors from various fields within the Financial Aid Industry: • Directors, Administrators, Clerical staff from both Undergraduate and Graduate schools • SUNY • CUNY • Vendors (e/g: lenders/guarantors/servicers)

Recruitment Plan for Mentors • Reach out to NYSFAAA membership • Create awareness at the FA Management level within the office so that both Mentors and Mentees are encouraged to actively participate • Utilize free resources for continuous outreach/communication such as Facebook • Utilize industry resources for continuous outreach/communication such as LIST-SERVs • Schedule actual meetings around regional meetings and conferences

Recruitment Plan for Mentees • Reach out to NYSFAAA members < 3 yrs or less • Reach out to last 3 years NYSFAAA Novice Graduates • Create awareness at the FA Management level within the office so that both Mentors and Mentees are encouraged to actively participate • Utilize free resources for outreach such as Facebook • Utilize industry resources to communicate such as LIST-SERVs • Schedule personal meetings around regional meetings and conferences

Needs Assessment • Survey membership on what they would like to "get out" of the Mentoring relationship as both a Mentor and a Mentee. • Tailor program based on survey feedback.

Personal Experiences • All of us have at least one person who has impacted us professionally. We may not necessarily call that person our “mentor” but in fact that is exactly the role that person has played in the story of your life. • Some of us may still call on that person for advice, guidance, support, even constructive criticism from time to time.

Next Steps… Get a Mentor! Become a Mentor!

Get a Mentor or Become a Mentor • Mentoring can help make each day a “better one”! • You can use a mentor! • Be a mentor!

Chris Constable Brian Ghanoo Ursula Duran Angelica Esparza Paula Gregorio Howard Leslie Arline Scotto Jenn Traumann Melanie Williams Erin Zagaski Special Thanks to our Mentor Volunteers SO FAR…

Time Line • Tri-Regional Meeting May 2009 AND • Wear your Mentoring BUTTON!

Q & A Time

Thank you  Angelica Esparza a.esparza@afclending.com 631-838-8589 Melanie Williams mwilliams@tc.columbia.edu 212-678-3702

NYSFAAA Region VI Mentoring Plan