Q: What are some of the topics you talk about?
Nik (my mentee) and I talk on the phone about once a month. Then I try to get to Penn State at least a couple times during the year and we have lunch. When our lives get busy, we reduce our interactions as needed. We’ve talked about résumés, applying to law schools, and general life advice.
Q: What do you feel a mentor should be expected to do?”
The mentor should do anything that helps the mentee move forward and help answer any questions a mentee may have. The purpose of the mentor is to guide the student through some of their questions, and to help them learn about and avoid pitfalls in their career seeking.
Q: What motivated you to become a mentor?
I was at a swearing-in ceremony as a Commonwealth Court judge, and at the ceremony, Scott Paterno asked me if I’d be interested in being a mentor in the political science program in Liberal Arts. And I said “why not”!
Q: What is most fulfilling about your mentor/mentee relationship?
One of your goals in life should be to make a new friend a day. Meeting people will always help your life be better off. Owning things is not as important as meeting new people and being exposed to new things. The most fulfilling aspect of my mentorship with Nik is that I’ve made another friend.