On February 27, over thirty local businesswomen will convene as mentors for the Triad Business Journal’s 10th annual Mentoring Monday event, where they’ll offer guidance, advice, and support to over 100 female mentees through one-on-one and group coaching sessions.
This women-to-women mentoring session is a stimulating professional development environment as attendees have the unique opportunity to network and gather invaluable insights from some of the community’s most accomplished businesswomen.
Four of the women offering mentorship are distinguished UNCG leaders: Dr. Sherine Obare, Dean of the Joint School for Nanoscience and Nanoengineering; Dr. Terri Shelton, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement; Beth Fischer, J.D., CFRE, Vice Chancellor of University Advancement; and Kimberly Osborne, Associate Vice Chancellor for Integrated Marketing.
In a preview of the event, these skilled women, who collectively have been with UNCG for over twenty years, participated in a Q&A session about their upcoming Mentoring Monday participation and approach to professional growth. Here’s what they said:
Q: Can you share why you believe mentoring is important?
A: Dr. Sherine Obare – Mentoring provides significant opportunities for individuals to grow their professional network and get access to others who can support their career goals. It gives them an advocate – someone to identify their capabilities and encourage them to reach their highest potential.
A: Dr. Terri Shelton – For both mentor and mentee, mentoring builds confidence, provides networking opportunities, and strengthens social capital. It gives the mentee new strategies to reach her goals and the mentor an opportunity to sharpen her leadership skills.
A: Beth Fischer – Mentoring is important because it offers the chance to seek input from others. Different mentors offer diverse perspectives, and having the opportunity to bounce ideas off of someone helps to solve problems, generate strategies, and formulate a plan.
A: Kimberly Osborne – Not all lessons take place in a classroom – there’s much about industries, and careers within those industries, that is only learned through first-hand experience. Navigating those lessons can be challenging for young professionals, but having a mentor who has “been there, done that” can be helpful. I’ve relied on my professional mentors for career advice and their insight has been beneficial. I want to do the same for up-and-coming professionals.
Q: What is one piece of career advice you often impart?
A: Dr. Sherine Obare – I like to tell those I mentor that they should be open to learning new things and doing things in a new way, even if it seems outside of their comfort zone. It is that flexibility and adaptability that will open doors and create new opportunities.
A: Dr. Terri Shelton – Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself and take an opportunity. Also, it’s important for young professionals to advocate for themselves, so I make sure they know that they should never be afraid to negotiate for a raise or a higher salary.
A: Beth Fischer – I advise mentees to always approach a role with the goal of setting up their boss, supervisor, and team for success. When you do that, everyone wins. Also, I tell them to do the work that only they can do and then consider delegating the rest.
A: Kimberly Osborne – One piece of advice I consistently give is to use your network. When I first began my career, I was set on not having help. I thought my education, experiences and sample work would be enough to get an interview. I have since learned how important networking is and remind mentees that people want to help other people. There’s no harm in asking a more experienced person for a few moments of their time; often, the outreach results in a connection.
From diverse backgrounds and specializations, each of these four women is well-regarded in her field. Their participation in Mentoring Monday gives attendees the opportunity to learn from their distinct experiences as well as lessons learned within their careers.
Get unique women-to-women mentorship at UNCG.
Story by Leah Thompson, AMBCopy, LLC
Photography by Martin Kane, University Communications
