Reflection: Part 2

I thought that this project is definitely a good way to improve our leadership skills.  From my experience, it is very hard trying to be somebody’s mentor whom you have no clue about and have little or nothing in common.  As a mentor, I was always trying to maintain contact with Cami and I made sure that she knew that she could approach me for help either in one of her classes, in the major, or in life.  I learned that as a leader, I am enthusiastic, trustworthy, confidant, and committed to excellence.  One thing that I have to improve is on always keeping my goals and end results in mind.  There were many times throughout the semester where I found myself straying away from my goals for this project and seeing Cami as a friend rather than a mentee.  I stayed in contact with her throughout the semester through e-mails, text, and Facebook, but I think that a few more face-to-face meetings would have created a much stronger relationship.

Being a mentor of someone who is just about your age is somewhat difficult.  Sometimes having one or two additional years of experience in college and life does not necessarily mean that a mentor is more prepared than its mentee.  I think that it is also a temptation to form a friendship rather than a mentor/mentee relationship.  When I was a counselor for my community’s youth group, I remember that the leader of my section was exactly the same age as me.  We rarely used to ask him for help or advice on anything because even though he was our mentor and leader, at the end of the day, he had the same experience and knowledge as we did. It was extremely difficult for him to lead a group of counselors who were the same age as him because they saw him as their equal. Thankfully, this situation did not occur with Cami and me.  Every time we met she asked me about my experience and what steps to take in order to have a successful educational experience.  

Reflection: Part 1

The Six communication rules that we learned in class helped build my friendship with Cami.  The first rule is to not be rude or condescending. This rule was especially helpful for out first meeting.  I wanted to give the right impression to Cami so I made sure that my tone of voice and personal appearance was in sink.  Even though this time I am the mentor, I did not want Cami to think that I feel better, more knowledgeable, or smarter than her just because I am the mentor and she is the mentee.  The second rule is to be visible.  I accomplished this by exchanging all contact information and adding her on Facebook.  That way, she had many ways to reach me just in case she needed anything.  I also stayed in contact with her throughout the semester so she knows that I am willing to help her with anything.  The third rule is to ask and not to tell.  Whenever we were trying to set a meeting, I always asked her before to she if she wanted to and if she had time.  The fourth rule is to never humiliate your mentee, especially in front of others.  This way of thinking has been instilled upon me since I was young and I made sure that Cami did not feel neither threatened nor humiliated by me.  The fifth rule is to question before assuming.  If for some reason it took Cami a few days to get back to me, I did not directly assume that she was avoiding me.  Instead, I thought that she might be busy with work and other projects.  It is very important to look at the whole perspective before putting on blames for people’s actions. Last but not least, is to stay positive.  I hope that I successfully transmitted my positive attitude and enthusiasm towards this program and especially this project to Cami.  I hope that I gave her a good insight as to what to expect from this wonderful program at SDSU.

STEP 5: Celebrating Succes!

-I am confident that my friendship with Cami will not dissolve.  I will always be open to give Cami advice either with school, classes, or life.  I will deffinetly keep in touch with her over the summer and especially during fall semester to see if she needs any help with projects. 

-One of Cami’s goals for this summer was to find a hospitality related job.  I was thrilled when she told me about her internship this summer at Loew’s Resort in Coronado. I was very happy for her.  I am sure that with her skills and passion, she will embrace this opportunity and use it to develop her knowledge and experience she has in this industry.

E-mail I received from Cami:

Hey girl!

Just wanted to let you know that I finished the 4theFam stimulation last Tuesday. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, the family didn't do anything too crazy, which was nice. I have my meeting with Mark on Tuesday and that will be the last on HTM 301! Yay! Thanks for all your help this semester with all the advice that you gave it, it really helped!

I'm just working a lot this summer. I don't know if I told you or not but I got an internship at Loew's Resort in Coronado so I will be working there this summer and I plan on taking some classes at State this summer as well. What are your plans for summer?

-Cami