Day 6: Mentor

Day 6: Explain: What does a good mentor “do”?

men·tor
'menˌtôr,-tər/

noun
noun: mentor; plural noun: mentors

1. an experienced and trusted adviser.

The mentor prepares the student for the unpredictability of the future with an attitude of excitement and an array of tools to overcome the obstacles and challenges that they may face. It's a quest with twists and turns that no one could possibly anticipate, so the mentor equips the student with grounded confidence, strategic encouragement and purposeful knowledge.

The mentor will also provide support when it is vital to the party's survival. It may not come immediately or in the form that is expected, but aid will arrive just in time. And it will be just enough. The student may not completely understand the reasoning behind this, but the experience collected will be put to good use in the future.

Sometimes the mentor does not reveal his entire plans for the student. While this may cause frustration and confusion, pieces of the larger puzzle are uncovered as they are needed, allowing the student to focus on the task at hand.

Mentors look forward to the day when their protégé stands alone, decorated in all of their achievements and begins training up their own.