The Finance and Operations Service Center of Excellence Mentor Program completed a second successful cohort in September. Five pairs of Mentors and Mentees were honored at a luncheon on September 19.
| Mentor | Mentee |
|---|---|
| Carly Perin | Donald Hamm |
| Collette Brown | Christine Shia |
| Alan Forrest | William Lunn |
| Bill Stockard | Cathy Hatley |
| Marcus Wooton | Brian Stynes |
Originally started as an SCE club in the Fall of 2017, the SCE Mentor Program was converted into a full SCE Committee at the end of 2018 under the guidance of Program Coordinator, Devin Williamson. Along with Devin, committee members Justin Case, Joanne Filley, Bea Muganda, Allison Reid and Donna Stelzenmuller helped expand the focus of the Mentor Program from the first cohort of three pairs in 2018.
I’ve seen more and more growth in the colleagues that have participated, I’ve witnessed those participants develop a stronger connection with the rest of the office. — Devin Williamson, SCE Mentor Program Coordinator
Mentors and mentees met once a month during the six-month program, with some pairs meeting more frequently.
The current group of mentees almost unanimously characterized their participation as a success and said that they learned so much from the experience. All said they would recommend the Mentor Program to others in the SCE and some have even maintained a relationship with their Mentors and continue to meet outside of the official structure of the program.
The mentors interviewed for this story also had resoundingly positive experiences with the program. In the case of Collette Brown, she has unofficially taken two other mentees under her wing and continues to meet with her Mentor Program protégé, Christine Shia.
Williamson, the program coordinator says, “I’ve seen more and more growth in the colleagues that have participated, I’ve witnessed those participants develop a stronger connection with the rest of the office.”
There are plans for expanding the SCE Mentor Program in 2020 and so many participants on both sides of the Mentor/Mentee relationship speak to how rewarding the experience was and how the time commitment was less than they thought it would be.
If you are interested in participating as a mentor or a mentee in 2020, please fill out the interest survey before January 17, 2020.