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Rodolfo Correa

A Happy and Healthy Mentorship

As a mentor, the question I often ask myself is what will my impact be? I believe that
the responsibility of a mentor to his mentee(s) is of tremendous importance. Throughout
generations, human progress has depended upon the passing of knowledge and experience, from
a parent teaching his children moral values to a teacher passing his education to the youth. Great
philosophers like Plato, followed by John Dewey and my personal inspiration Peter Singer, have
attempted to define the complex idea of mentoring through education. However, as the world is
constantly changing, I stress that the most important lesson from this academics is to understand
your context and through mentoring leave a proud legacy. In my mentor philosophy I will
explore the role of stories and motivation as key characteristics to my mentor leadership.

The success of a mentor relies on the awareness of his context and himself. In my
experience, great mentors are conscious of their strengths and limitations, they understand their
context and remain committed to their goal. From my leadership experience I know that I am
good at many things, but I also learned that I struggle at many other things. To understand myself
is very different from effectively practicing my strengths and be confident of my limitations. In
my experience, through mentoring as a student leader, I have identified empathy, honesty, and
resourcefulness as my most valuable characteristics; empathy, because I am able to validate
everyones opinion; honesty, because I share my perspective not to discuss but to come up with
an understanding; and resourcefulness, because I am committed to my word and work to find
solutions. However, I have noticed that my commitment to my education and job impose in

Rodolfo Correa

dedicating the desirable time with my mentee(s). But this time and commitment limitation is a
challenge that not only I face, but many of my generation. The context right now and right here
presents a big opportunity to confront responsibility and balance commitment while still
pursuing your goals. My ultimate goal in a personal and professional level is to make people
happy and healthy. Once, I had identified who I am right now, where I am, and what I want, I
was able to mentor effectively.

In my option the mentor has a responsibility to his mentee(s). Peter Singer said, the more
I have the more I can give (Ted Talk, 2013). I like to take this idea and apply it in the context of
mentoring, because everyone is only fortunate enough to live a unique live. The unique
experiences and perspective are no good only with us, but if shared can help in progress or
preventing. The ultimate duty is to tell the story and prompt reflection.
In a conversation I had with a former senior employee at General Mills I asked her how does she
teach her diverse team what needs get be done? She insisted, mostly through impactful stories.
As a professional she mentors not one but many people at the same time, and throughout her
career she has experienced success and failures. Her responsibility to the company is to her team,
because she is in that senior position because of her competent experience, and her experience
only transcends through her stories. I believe that my responsibility as a mentor is to share the
experience that has shaped my opportunities. The more I experience the more I must share,
because to me experience is of no value unless it benefits someone other than my memory.

Dewey reminded me of one of the importance of philosophy, which is to explore the

human soul and examine a unique perspective. Faith in the power of intelligence to imagine a

Rodolfo Correa

future and to invent the instrumentalities of its realization is our salvation. (as cited in
McDermott, 1981, p. 78). What I take from this quote is, what motivates me as a mentor is the
passion found when the world and my ideas meet. For example, I have a seasonal job with
Educational Talent Search, were I serve as a mentor for underrepresented high school students.
In my leadership position I have the opportunity to change someones life by sharing my positive
college experience and answering their concerns as prospect first generation students. When I
pass along my experience, it is a recompilation of my highlights and my struggles. However, I
share the positive in the negative, how a low turned into a high in my life and how that
experience helped me understand better. The power my stories have that may influence these
kids decisions is fed by faith that I will get them to college and more opportunities and that they
will help someone else in a never ending cycle .I think what motivates philosophers to define
their ideas is to inspire the next generation to imagine more and do more. It is a good reminder
to mentors that inspiring is much more effective that lecturing, the non-classroom education for
millennial. As a mentor, I find motivation that my experience will impact my mentee and my
mentee will impact someone else and so forth.

From the discussion in Theaetetus (Plato, 1992), I recognize a few elements that seem, in
my opinion, important to the role of a mentor/mentee relationship in todays context, which are
discussing and reasoning. Information today is readily available, but does not mean that we are
reflecting the information and evaluating it. We can easily be persuaded and persuade others to
accept information or experiences as knowledge. What someone experiences cannot simply be
confused as a fact or true. I strongly believe that what is true to me the opposite is true to
someone else, and equal ideas are as true as long as we each strongly believe in them. However,

Rodolfo Correa

as a mentor, I can only share my experiences. Therefore, I belief through conversations and
discussions both my mentee and I can understand better. To me, knowledge is a work in progress
and each person define things in different ways and our experiences only help to communicate
one perspective of a complex idea. To share my experiences through stories comes with the
responsibility adapting it as I learn from others and keeping and open mind.

The concept of emotional intelligence explored by David Goleman endorses a healthy

relationship with us and the positive effects self-awareness has on being a successful person. To
be a successful I agree that one must develop a set of emotional skills that will empower you to
work alone and with others. As a successful mentor I believe it is necessary to nourish emotional
skills. Exposing my mentee to build a strong connection with his identity and environment is
key. In my opinion awareness of oneself and how to empathize are the root of the mentor,
because it is important to understand what motivates us and others. My mentor philosophy is
concerned with opportunities that will allow my mentee to explore his identity. Also, to challenge
my mentee to keep discussing ideas and perspectives, and dont forget to reflect in order to learn.

As I pursue a long-term education to obtain my doctorate in Food Science and continue a

career in health prevention I will serve as a healthy mentor. I believe that by sharing my stories
and inspiring motivation I can start a cycle that will lead to happy and healthy lives. I have faith
that my experiences through stories will start new discussions and prompt new ideas on my
mentees to find solutions I never thought to problems I never saw. Also, to continuously
encourage discussion and reasoning with an open heart and mind for my mentee(s) and myself.

Rodolfo Correa
I strongly believe in the responsibility I have and will have as a mentor, in school, as a

professional, as a family man, and as a member of my community. As I embrace new roles

through my life, when I ask myself what will my impact be? I will remain empathetic, honest
and resourceful. Also, I will serve my goal above other interests that may try to influence me, to
strive happy and healthy.

Biography
McDermott, J. J. (Ed.). (1981). The philosophy of John Dewey. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.

Plato, and Williams, B. (1992). Theaetetus. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company.
Goleman, Daniel. "What Makes a Leader?" Harvard Business Review (January 2004): 82-90.
Singer, Peter. (2013). The why and how of effective altruism [Ted Talk].
https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_singer_the_why_and_how_of_effective_altruism/transcript?
language=en