The MiteY Mentorship program is a great opportunity for you to connect with a mentor who can offer insight, advice, opportunity, and help you navigate the next stage(s) of your professional career.  Here are a few ITE leaders sharing what mentorship has meant to them and their careers:

“I’ve been very lucky to have several fantastic mentors that have played an integral role in shaping my path forward. Their faith in me has truly helped me develop the confidence to be where I am now. It has contributed immensely both to my professional development and to my feeling connected to the transportation profession–I can’t speak highly enough about how important mentoring has been to me.”

-Amy Wyman, 2021 Outstanding Student Awardee

“I met some of my most important mentors through ITE. Mentors have helped guide me through my career so far – from getting my first internship to knowing when the time was right to change jobs. I’ve been very fortunate to have such dedicated mentors through ITE, and that’s why I’m so thrilled and humbled to support this program as a mentor myself. “

-Henry Hammel, former mentee and current mentor

“Mentorship was where I got my greatest support along my journey as a student and throughout my transition from a student to a young professional in the transportation profession. To me, having a mentor means having someone who can encourage, support, and push me to be a successful leader, professional, and a well‐rounded person overall. Throughout our lifetime, I believe that everyone will have at least a few mentors who leave a big impact in one’s life. Someone who will listen to your worries, share the same passion, and encourage you to accomplish any goal you set. Before long, you will see yourself grow into a more confident student leader and/or young professional. This is the beauty of mentorship!”

-Katherine Lee, 2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Student Awardee

“Mentorship is perhaps the single most effective tool in to advance your professional development. Having an honest and open relationship with a mentor (or mentors) gives you a window into other people’s perspective on yourself, the industry you work in, and how you can grow your career to meet your personal and professional goals. I strongly encourage everyone, and especially young professionals, to seek out mentors both internal and external to their organizations.

I have personally had a number of mentors in my life. Each one has affected the way I see the world and helped me develop into the professional that I am today. Your mentor doesn’t need to share the same focus or skills set that you have. I’m a technical person at heart; yet one of my most rewarding mentor relationships was with a senior engineer who taught me about building and maintaining professional relationships.”

-Pat Marnell, 2019 Young Professional Achievement Awardee and Western District Technical Committee Chair

“There are often times we get stuck at crossroads and aren’t able to make decisions, more than likely it is because of overthinking.  At those junctions, I have been fortunate enough to have mentors who not only provide clarity by sharing other perspectives/their experiences but also build my confidence such that I can make decisions with more assurance.  I consider mentor-mentee relationship as also a partnership as taking on a mentor role would also have me learn a lot and keep me more relevant.”

-Sowmya Chandrasekhar, 2021 Individual Achievement Awardee