What made you raise your hand to be a mentor this year?

Katherine: I signed up to be a mentor after a convincing nudge from another U.S. WIN member who mentored students in the past. Admittedly, I was hesitant at first, as I am new(er) to nuclear and in the process of looking for my own mentor. I thought it wouldn’t make sense to try and mentor someone when I needed my own. The woman who suggested I try it offered some words of encouragement that made me reconsider and I’m so grateful I took her advice to do so. (thank you, Amanda Bachmann!)

What were your expectations before being paired up as mentor & mentee?

Kelly: I have had the opportunity to be a sponsored student to the U.S. WIN conference for pretty much the whole of my undergraduate career. Each mentor I have had the pleasure of being paired with has been different, and helped me grow in different ways. From my first mentor, Joy Travis, I learned the importance of not being afraid of communicating… I suppose I didn’t have any expectations for my mentor, per se, but for myself. Without communication and getting to know your mentor, there’s not as many chances to learn as a mentee.

Katherine: I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. But I do recall my fear that I would let down my mentee by not knowing what I was doing. It’s amazing how powerful self-doubt can be when facing unknown challenges! I guess I could say my hope was that my mentee wouldn’t have any expectations of her own 🙂

Looking back, how did the reality of the mentor program compare to your expectations?

Katherine: I learned early on that my mentee had been through this program numerous times, which immediately set the bar high. Without realizing it, Kelly challenged me to think outside the box on how I could approach being her mentor. I wanted to make sure neither of us walked away feeling like it was a complete waste of her time. I like to think, in the end, that didn’t happen.

Kelly: Katherine honestly exceeded my expectations—I’m not sure how those in the mentor program who pair up mentors and mentees came by their psychic powers, but I’m convinced they have them. Katherine was the mentor I didn’t even know I needed. We both have creative backgrounds, which helped us connect immediately! Katherine has helped me push myself to connect with others, too, and put myself out there… a very good thing for a senior in college to do.

How was this experience different from your previous experiences in the mentor program?

Kelly: This conference was a little different because I wasn’t coming along with a company. The previous times I’ve gone to the conference, I had done so in the midst of an internship. Without that built-in network of coworkers or that segue of saying “I’m an intern in [insert group here],” it was more difficult for me to talk to people. I’m not naturally an extrovert, you see—so Katherine was a big help by introducing me to her own network and being my personal cheerleader.

What was your favorite part about the mentoring program?

Katherine: The women who, in my earlier days, simply introduced me to others with no return expectation made such a difference for me, and I really enjoyed getting to be that person for Kelly. Also, just getting to know her as a human – with so many things in common, especially on the creative front, it was a real treat to geek out a little on those topics and find ways to bring that into nuclear and our work. I honestly feel like we were meant to find each other and become friends.

Kelly: Having someone contractually obligated to be your friend—sorry what, who said that? Haha! In all seriousness, my favorite part is how it connects you to people. Most of my roommates I’ve kept in contact with, same with my mentors. The amount of joy I get from seeing people I’ve met through this program again is incredible. I’m very happy to call Katherine my friend!

What is your biggest takeaway from this program?

Katherine: I learned that anyone can be a mentor and that it doesn’t require decades of job-specific experience to help someone coming up in the world. I tried to consider what I would want out of a mentor and there was a light bulb moment during the conference where I realized being a mentor doesn’t mean sitting in the end-goal position that your mentee is trying to reach just so you can tell her how you got there. Being a mentor is about listening to your mentee and offering support by meeting her where she is in ways that will help her succeed on her own path.

Kelly: Perhaps it’s cheesy, but… how kind everyone is in U.S. WIN. It’s hard to be a woman in a STEM field. I’m sure most of us can relate, but the whole of my college career I’ve struggled with being the only woman in a room. So what I really want to do is thank Joy Travis, Micki Biltz, Susan Pugh, and Katherine for being my mentors. It takes a lot of courage, dedication, and—above all—kindness to be a mentor to a student. I honestly don’t think I would have stayed committed to a nuclear career without this program. Every one of these ladies took the time to be a mentor to me. Everyone has inspired me to be a better person and nuclear professional… to keep going and even be proud of being the only woman in the room.

Do you have advice for future potential mentors or mentees?

Kelly: Communicate with your mentor. I know that as a first time mentee I was terrified of being a burden, or somehow not living up to expectations. But that first bit of communication—sending your mentor an email with your phone number, setting up a little coffee conversation before the conference begins in earnest—it absolutely wipes that fear away. Don’t be afraid to tell your mentor what you’d like out of the conference or ask questions.

Katherine: I think this is simple – everyone should sign up and support a future woman in nuclear. So often I hear stories about women facing challenges in this male-dominated industry, how difficult it is to often be the only woman in the room.  It’s something I’ve faced myself for years. It’s tough to not have people standing up for or looking out for you. This also rings true when you are new to the industry, or just to the professional world in general. Being someone who these students can seek advice from can go a long way. Beyond just ‘how to get a job,’ mentors can teach them how to become strong professionals.