How To Join the Mentorship Program at Temple PRSSA

Last fall, Temple PRSSA introduced a mentorship program for its members. The program, so far, has been incredibly successful in matching up an upperclassman, or an executive board member (the mentor) with a younger PRSSA member (the mentee) and creating a relationship where the mentor helps to guide the mentee through their journey of studying and learning to practice the art of public relations and their life at Temple here as a whole! The mentor, as an older student, is a person who can answer potential questions about the major itself, what classes to take when, resume and internship questions and anything else about Temple. Oftentimes, a mentor will serve as a role model for their mentee. 

Becoming a mentor within Temple's chapter of PRSSA has been such a rewarding experience for me. I have been able to inspire my mentee to aspire a career in a field that I am extremely passionate about. Being able to share my love of PR with someone and watching them express that same dedication to this field is something indescribable.

In order to be a mentor, you must be a dues paying member of PRSSA and be able to take the time to both meet and communicate with your mentee. The mentee must be able to meet with their mentee(s) at least once a month, and contact them on a weekly basis. This may include texting, emailing, chatting on Facebook- whatever method of communication that suits each party best outside of face-to-face meetings. The more communication the better though!

If you are interested  please feel free to contact Rachel Draghi at Rachel.Draghi@temple.edu with any questions or concerns you may have! Applications will be due on October 1st, 2013 for the fall semester.

To learn more, please visit templeprssa.org/mentorship-program/.

From Mentee to Mentor

When is it that you go from being a mentee, to becoming a mentor in your own right? I have recently gone through this transition myself and to be honest, there are no clear cut signs. As PR students, it is easy for us to get caught up in our work, head down and full speed ahead. What we have to remember is that sometimes we need to look up and look around us. Oftentimes we'll find that we have accomplished much more than we realized. We get appointed to executive boards of different organizations on campus, land a great summer internship, or even just ace a really difficult PR course. No matter what the accomplishment, we need to slow down long enough to appreciate them, not just for ourselves, but for other students around us.

With those accomplishments come experience that can be shared with others. Questions that you used to ask, you now have the answers to. "How do I apply to E-Board, what should I bring to my internship interview, and how on Earth did you pass that class?!" You now have first-hand experience that can help another student achieve the same goals or inspire them to strive for some of their own.

I know it may feel a bit intimidating or awkward mentoring someone close to your own age, but you simply have to get over it! If you have the answers that another student is searching for, wouldn't it behoove you to help them? Through your mentorship, you could potentially foster a future E-Board member or encourage them to go after an amazing opportunity. After all, at one point you were the mentee that needed guidance. It is important for us to pause long enough to recognize when it is time to return the favor. 

What experience have you gained in the past year? Have you shared it with others? We want to know!