It’s National Mentoring Day!
To celebrate, we took some time this week to talk to a few of our mentors and mentees, to learn more about how our mentor matching program has helped them grow not only professionally, but personally as well.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Christy Bolton who is an alumna of Upward Class One. Christy had the unique experience of being a mentee and later serving as a mentor. She shared, “I can honestly say the two people that I got matched up with as both mentor and mentee will probably be lifelong friends. We chat back and forth with each other professionally, but also share things that we’re going through in our personal life. We kind of check on each other. I think not only is this a help for professional growth, but I also gained friends.”
Finding people you can connect with on a professional and personal level is more challenging as you move forward in life and according to studies, finding a mentor can be even more challenging for women. 65% of women do not know where to go to find a formal mentor, and Momentum’s cost-free mentor matching service aims to change that. I think the beauty in this program, is the that it can help you put that guard down and open up to someone that you may have ever been connected with.
Our Mentoring Manager, Darla Morrison works diligently day in and day out to match every mentor with their mentee to ensure success and the impactful outcomes for all involved. Here are just a few of the outcomes mentorship delivers:
- According to Forbes magazine, 87% of mentors and mentees feel empowered by their relationship, resulting in a boost of confidence as well as career satisfaction.
- Mentees are five times more likely to be promoted.
- 94% of Momentum mentees reported that their mentorship helped them achieve the specific goals they were working toward.
- Momentum mentees reported meeting with their mentors an average of 8 times over six months.
- Historically, the majority of mentees have the goals of achieving upward mobility, networking, and enhancing various leadership skills.
- Momentum has successfully made more than 1,000 mentor matches in its 20 year history!
- 93% of Momentum graduates mentored or sponsored other women after their participation in our programs.
Christy went on to say that being on both sides of the program, she was able to learn so much from her mentor and mentee. Her advice? “Take that step, open up, get to know somebody and take what you can get from them and give what you can.”
Finally, I would like to thank every single woman who has taken the time to be a mentor, mentee, or even both. If being a mentor or mentee interests you, check out our mentor matching program now!
