The word mentor comes from Ancient Greece. When Ulysses left his home and family behind, it was his friend Mentor who served as a father figure toward Telemachus. Though we often think of mentors as bosses or supervisors, they are actually meant to serve like counselors: our mentors give us advice, yes, but we should also feel comfortable enough around them to share our thoughts and ideas. We believe this is what the Signet Mentorship Program should be.

We aim to introduce Signet Society undergraduates with Signet Society alumni in areas of mutual interest. The 2011-12 inaugural year will help us explore interests and shape the future of the program.

The mentor role is a mix of friend and counselor. These three undertakings might be achieved through the Signet Mentorship Program:

o Provide career advice to the protégé. 

o Help explore passions tangential to a possible career—a writer, for example, could learn more about architecture through this program. 

o Serve as a sounding board and gentle guide to exploring the interplay between careers and creative pursuits. 

If geography allows, mentor and protégé might meet during the year, but in most cases they will communicate by other means (telephone, email). A 30-minute phone call every three months may be agreeable to some pairs; others may aim for an hour coffee every other month, or occasional email exchanges.  

Privacy is of top importance to the Signet Mentorship Program.  We will secure information and share them with program organizers to make initial matches.  Only mentorship partners will be given each others’ profiles and contact information.