Mentoring to Sponsor

I was out at dinner a little while back with one of my former students and a college student majoring in computer science (CS) with whom I had worked on a variety of community initiatives around CS. It wasn't just any dinner though. It was intentionally arranged so that they could meet a contact of mine who was heading up a new initiative to inspire Latinas and their families about opportunities in technology - Technolochicas. You see, Technolochicas was looking for ambassadors - young Latinas who could serve as role models to the entire community of how they had pursued CS and technology-related endeavors. Immediately these two girls came to mind - both incredibly inspiring and accomplished at their young age already with CS. Being a Technolochicas ambassador would be an incredible way to raise their visibility, so when this contact was planning to be in town, we got to work on arranging a dinner together. Along with my contact and students, two other accomplished young Latinas were also there - in fact, one was an engineer with General Motors. As we sit and begin to converse, sharing stories and backgrounds, the engineer suddenly exclaims to me, "You're a sponsor!" I responded with, "You mean a mentor? I don't have money to be anyone's sponsor...I'm just a teacher." She follows with, "No, a sponsor. A sponsor does more than just guide and listen to their mentees. They go out of their way to help them make connections, they help them become more visible and known. That's what you are - their sponsor." As if that her convincing me wasn't enough, I went online and found this article describing the difference between being a mentor and a sponsor. These three points about being a sponsor stood out to me. Sponsors:

  • Intentionally orchestrate plans by design, not default - CHECK!
  • Champion and promote their mentees through increased visibility - CHECK!
  • Advocate for and expose mentees to opportunities CHECK!    So there you have it. I'm a sponsor and didn't even know it! And there is no other way I'd have it. What greater joy is there than to see former students recognized for their efforts? Here are some intros to a few of the inspiring young women at dinner that night:

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