Reflecting on National Mentoring Month
January was an incredible month for iMentor. We rang The Opening Bell at the historic New York Stock Exchange, which was broadcast live for millions of viewers around the world. We were featured in The Case Foundation’s blog, which is renowned for covering leading trends in the social sector. We were honored by these opportunities to highlight our mentors and mentees!
iMentor celebrated National Mentoring Month with an iConnect event called 4 Under 40: Making a Difference in NYC. Hosted by Google (one of iMentor’s newest corporate partners), the panel featured four speakers under the age of 40 who are transforming lives through their chosen career fields: Richard Buery (President & CEO of Children’s Aid Society), Rachael Chong (Founder & CEO of Catchafire), Doug Rohde (Engineering Manager at Google) and Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez (Founder & Executive Director of Hot Bread Kitchen). Over 200 people—including mentors and mentees—attended to hear panelists’ perspectives and learn from their experiences.
The panelists shared several inspiring insights that we continue to reflect on, almost a month later.
Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez began by outlining the issue with getting people involved with volunteering: “The fundamental question is how we can create a culture that helps young people engage in a meaningful manner,” said Jessamyn.
Richard Buery responded with a reflection on the nature of change. He said: “Throughout history, big change happens because of regular people doing extraordinary things. It’s inspiring to reflect on this, because as horrible as things may seem today, history reminds us that significant challenges can be overcome by regular people coming together to make change. This is as true today as it has been throughout history.”
Doug Rohde provided advice for people deciding how to get involved. “Give your money wisely,” Doug advised. “Volunteer with the organizations that you donate to. Understand their missions and whether they are using money wisely. Understand that volunteering will change you—you will benefit from it.”
Mentors left the event inspired to get even more involved with iMentor. Several mentors decided to go beyond mentoring by signing up for the Online Donor Drive, which officially launches March 1st.
View photos of the event
