Reflections, Mentorship, and the Season of Giving

Guest Blogger: Miss Nebraska

“December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come.” Fennel Hudson. 

As we enter what many of us call the season of giving, I think this is the perfect time to continue reflecting on what is to come but also what has been given to us and what we can give back to others!! 

Next month is National Mentoring Month, and around here at MENTOR NE, I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s one of our favorite months! The National Mentoring Summit is happening, and so much mentoring advocacy is taking place. Even though it is a busy month, all the happenings cause us to think about why we are passionate about mentorship in the first place! 

As I prepare to share the importance of mentorship and the need of mentoring resources at Miss America, I get emotional talking about the mentors that made this opportunity possible. I often think we don’t realize that we have been mentored until we have a great success OR, on the flipside, we don’t think we need a mentor until we have a great failure. It wasn’t until I suffered my soccer injury that I realized I had been mentored my whole life!! 

I smile when I think about how amazing mentorship is. I’m so grateful for how it’s changed my life! But simultaneously, I yearn for other kids to have the ability to be mentored, to want to be mentored like I do, and to be willing to step into those relationships, even if it might be nerve wracking at first. After my injury, I had to figure out a way to ensure other young people could know what that is like. So what can you or I do to encourage good mentorship and help provide the resources for mentorship to take place? 

  1. Share your story! I have said it many times before, but your story MATTERS. Show a young person in your life that their story matters too! By being vulnerable and sharing your experiences, struggles, and victories, that young person will learn that they are truly not alone, and their experiences, struggles, and victories matter too! 
  2. Always look to better yourself! Seek out resources to better yourself and your mentoring abilities! Utilizing resources like Becoming a Better Mentor can help guide you through those tough situations, but also give you that encouragement you need to keep going! Your mentee will be grateful that you took the time to be your best self, just like you are encouraging them to be! Plus, it’s fun to learn new things! 
  3. Listen. Often as mentors, we like to talk. A lot! Because of our experience, we often want to share, share, share (and as mentioned above, sharing is so important to do!!) However, it’s equally important to be an active listener. How can you encourage your mentee if you haven’t listened to their needs? Practicing listening can sometimes be difficult in our fast-paced society. But during this season of giving, and reflection, slow yourself down enough to listen to your mentee’s needs, and the needs of others around you! You will only become a better mentor, and be a better person because of it! 

I hope this encourages you, wherever you are at in your mentorship journey!! And if you haven’t started mentoring yet, there is no better time than the present!

Happy Holidays!

Raechel Warren
Miss Nebraska 2024 

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