NOTATION: The idea is to research and contemplate “What is a Good Mentor?“. I took a look at Uber’s overarching “about” statement and the etymology of the word mentor. I wrote about my idea of a good mentor, listed the attributes of a good mentor, and included some quotes relevant to the topic.

UBER RESEARCH: “It started as a simple idea: What if you could request a ride from your phone? More than 5 billion trips later, we’re working to make transportation safer and more accessible, helping people order food quickly and affordably, reducing congestion in cities by getting more people into fewer cars, and creating opportunities for people to work on their own terms.” – Uber About Statement

THE ORIGIN OF MENTOR: The term “mentor” comes from The Odyssey, an ancient Greek epic poem by Homer. Odysseus asked his friend Mentor to help watch over his son Telemachus while Odysseus was away at the Trojan War. Twenty years later, the goddess of wisdom Athena disguised herself as Mentor to provide Telemachus crucial advice at the start of the epic story: to investigate what happened to his father. Based on this origin story alone, mentors are wise, give good advice, and encourage the pursuit of adventure and discovery. 

MY IDEA OF A GOOD MENTOR: A mentor takes every bit of themselves – every mistake, lesson learned, personal victory, and vision – they take all of those bits and pieces and pass them on to you. They freely share their knowledge and wisdom. Their biggest hope to is lift you up and teach you the art of self-empowerment. At the end of the day, they’re your toughest critic and your most diehard cheerleader.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD MENTOR:

• experienced
• compassionate
• relatable
• encouraging
• advises
• reliable
• wise
• accessible
• empathetic
• trustworthy
• guiding
• helping
• empowering
• leader

QUOTES ON MENTORSHIP:

• “The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.” – Plutarch
• “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey
• “Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

JOURNAL:

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MISSING: This post may be missing some key elements, including “interesting/new ideas”, and “prototype”. This is because I chose to focus on my personal process of starting a new project with research and to explore the class themes by documenting my ideas about mentorship.

Image Source: Forbes

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