Mentors

Mentors are an interesting thing, I think we have all had them, but like most things we don’t notice their influence until they are gone- or we are gone. Since I am interning in New York this summer I am far from my mentors- or “professional role models”. I would like to think I have 2, they might disagree but I will continue to live in my delusional world. They are very different- they are both women, both strong members of the church, both extremely intelligent and successful professionally, both involved with their families, but still different. They have both encouraged me to pursue professional goals but in different ways. As I continue my internship I am even more grateful for their examples and encouragement. I guess you need a little more information- yes this does border on cheesy- that part is for pete and Maryanne.

The first one is an amazing professor- I had her class as a junior at BYU, I had her right after I changed my major and had some interesting life experiences, by the time I took her class I was confused and discouraged about where my future was headed. I walked out of her class the first night and thought, “I want to be her”. Brian was so sick of hearing about her that semester- but I thought she was fantastic. She was passionate about public health, involved in community activities and events, and still a fantastic wife and mother. Her enthusiasm for public health was contagious- and despite several setbacks I decided to pursue it. I had her the next semester and at the bottom of one of my papers she wrote, “you should consider grad school!” To be honest that was the first time I thought about it seriously, she may have written it to be nice, or just in passing, but I took her seriously and started on the path to get my MPH- now 1 year into the program I blame her (it’s a good thing). She has been great throughout my MPH, she let me bounce project ideas off of her, encouraged me to get involved in community events, listened to me whine about applying for fieldwork, and gave me a job that I love. She has been encouraging throughout the beginning of my time here in NYC, when I was ready to throw in the towel and come home (and trust me I was looking up plane flights) she told me I couldn’t come home and that I needed to finish what I started and that things would get better- thank you for everything!

 

The second mentor is another amazing professor. She has pushed me harder than any other professor. She taught me (and quite a few others) that settling for “okay” is unacceptable and that only your best work should be presented. She taught me to have an opinion, and learn to present that opinion in professional situations- even when you are the most junior member of a group. She has shown me that being female in a male dominated world is no reason not to let your voice be heard, and has shown that in situations where you may not look like the rest of the group- it is even more important to know your stuff and always be prepared. She expects perfection and sets high standards- and this has been great for me, while I may not always live up to her standards I do try much harder than if I wasn’t held to them. She has encouraged me to pursue additional education in a setting when most professors suggest that I stay home, have babies and bake (all of which I will do at some point but it is nice to know that I have other options too) thank you for all your help!