NYSFAAA Region VI Mentoring Plan

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NYSFAAA Region VI Mentoring Plan

• Presented by
• Angelica Esparza Academic Finance Corporation
  (AFC)
• Melanie Williams-Bethea Teachers College,
  Columbia University

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Mentoring can HELP!

• Does your day end like this?
• Is this your last memory of the week?

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Background

• The most satisfying thing in life is to have
  been able to give a large part of ones 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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Mentoring The Process

• Most important Development of Trust and
  Confidentiality
• Learning to Trust
• Developing a relationship
• Establishing a relationship

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As a Mentor

• Goals high level of trust
• In any relationship first trust, then
  friendship
• Phone versus e-mail
• Imperative respect others opinion
• Slowly versus Quickly

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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

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As a Mentor Some Hints

• Dont 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

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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)

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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

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Recruitment Plan for Mentees

• Reach out to NYSFAAA members lt 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

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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.

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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.

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Next Steps

• Get a Mentor!
• Become a Mentor!

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Get a Mentor or Become a Mentor

• Mentoring can help make each day a better one!
• You can use a mentor!
• Be a mentor!

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Special Thanks to our Mentor Volunteers SO FAR

• Chris Constable
• Brian Ghanoo
• Ursula Duran
• Angelica Esparza
• Paula Gregorio

• Howard Leslie
• Arline Scotto
• Jenn Traumann
• Melanie Williams
• Erin Zagaski

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Time Line

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

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Q A Time
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Thank you ?

• Angelica Esparza
• a.esparza_at_afclending.com
• 631-838-8589
• Melanie Williams
• mwilliams_at_tc.columbia.edu
• 212-678-3702