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Women in Leadership Foundation is pleased to introduce you to Anna Prust (Mentor) and Rebecca King (Mentee) who were paired in our Mentorship Program.
What motivated you to participate in the Women in Leadership Mentorship Program as a mentor and mentee? Anna Prust: As a mentor, I was motivated to give back to the community of women who had helped me grow so much in my experiences as a mentee! I was also looking forward to the opportunity to learn from my mentee by discussing different workplace contexts, challenges and strategies that broaden my perspective.
Rebecca King: As a mentee, I was motivated by my manager, Linda. She saw the opportunity and expressed that I may be interested in it. I also wanted to broaden my network and do something that would push me out of my comfort zone.
What goals did you set at the beginning of your mentorship relationship, and how have you worked towards achieving them?
Both: At the beginning of our mentorship relationship, we discussed our hopes for the program and set a goal to be open and honest with each other, and to embrace the mentorship process. On top of being open and prepared for each meeting we aimed to be flexible and kind of take the relationship and meetings as they came. What have been some of the most valuable lessons or insights you have gained from your mentorship relationship?
Rebecca King: Throughout this program, I have learned that no matter your experiences there is always something you can learn through mentorship, both as the mentee and mentor. You can lean on one another. Just because one of you is the mentee and one is the mentor doesn’t mean that learning will just be one-sided. You can definitely learn from each other.
What advice would you give to those who are entering into a mentorship relationship for the first time?
Both: Make an effort to be present in the time you spend with your mentor/mentee! The more you buy in to the process and share your goals and challenges, the more success you will have.
Our other piece of advice is to make an effort to get to know one another at the beginning. We felt that like we got to know each other better near the end, and I wish we had done that first. Spending a bit more time on relationship building at the beginning will help guide the mentorship a little bit easier.
About Anna Prust (she/her):
Anna Prust (she/her) is a Training Development Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. With a background in Education, her work focuses on optimizing the training and education of military members at various stages in their careers. She has served in the CAF for 6 years and currently resides in Ottawa Ontario, where she is pursuing her Master of Education at the University of Ottawa.
About Rebecca King (she/her):
Rebecca King (she/her) is a Corporate Auto Fund Trainer for SGI based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Previous to that she earned her Bachelor of Education from the U of Regina and was a substitute teacher. She lives in Regina with her husband Nathan and their dog, King.