Hoya Peer Mentor Program (Tawjeeh)

To qualify for mentorship, you need to be an alum of Georgetown University. Mentors can apply here. Please get in touch by emailing guqcareers@georgetown.edu if you would like to take part or have any questions. The program will be facilitated through Hoya Gateway, an online e-networking platform, so if you haven’t already you will need to also create a Hoya Gateway profile. Learn more about what makes a successful mentor.

Being a mentor is a great way to make a positive impact on someone’s life. While this may initially feel like a heavy responsibility, the commitment is not necessarily a burden and it can be beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee. As alumni of a Jesuit institution, mentoring is a great way for graduates to live in the service of others. Many of the questions being asked by students and young alumni are the same questions and struggles that alumni mentors have faced previously. Helping students and alumni become informed lifelong learners, engaged citizens and productive employees, is at the core of the University’s values. It strengthens our community and all aspects of both personal and professional life.

Being a mentee is a great way to help discover more about yourself and learn more about the professional world. The program provides opportunities to follow the lead of someone who has been through the Hoya journey, to gain an outside perspective on decisions, to gather more information about a professional field or simply to talk through decisions you are facing. However, being a mentee does take some responsibility. You need to realize that the mentor is investing his or her time in you, and you need to treat them accordingly.

Yes you can. Many of the questions and issues that students and other young alumni face are the same ones you faced at graduation. A mentorship isn’t about solving the problem or simply telling the mentee what to do. It is really about listening, exploring options and helping them talk through the problem. To alleviate any concerns about mentoring we will be offering regular training sessions to help mentors share best practices and strengthen their coaching and mentoring skills.

Absolutely. Every mentorship experience is different and you will likely get as much out of it as you put in. We don’t want this program to be overly burdensome to you but we do ask you to commit a minimum of one hour per month over the course of the semester to meet with your mentee. This can be done at your convenience by meeting for lunch or coffee, or even just making a phone call, depending on what suits your schedule. Both mentor and mentee should feel free to schedule additional time as appropriate.

All people engaged in mentoring relationships benefit from the experience. Mentors benefit by building a stronger sense of community and learning about themselves while being challenged to see an issue through another person’s eyes. Mentees benefit from developing relationships with professionals who can advise them on their personal and professional goals and whose experience can assist them with moving forward. Both mentors and mentees have the opportunity to learn about themselves and others by engaging in relationships with fellow Hoyas who may be generationally, ethnically, educationally or professionally different. Specifically, through the Tawjeeh program, new mentors can obtain training and mentoring sessions to better develop their mentoring and coaching skills. These same mentoring and coaching skills can be used to lead and guide teams in the workplace.

• Personal commitment to be involved with another person for an extended time. Mentors have a genuine desire to be part of other people’s lives, to help them with tough decisions and to see them become their very best self.
• Respect for the individual, for their abilities, and their right to make their own choices in life. A mentor should not approach the mentee with the attitude that the mentor’s ways are better or that participants need to be rescued. Mentors who convey a sense of dignity and respect in the relationship win the trust of their mentees.
• The ability to listen and to accept different points of view. Most people can find someone who will give advice or express opinions. It’s much harder to find someone who will suspend his or her own judgment and really listen. Mentors often help simply by listening, asking thoughtful questions, and giving mentees an opportunity to explore their own thoughts in a safe and open environment. When people feel accepted they are more likely to ask for and respond. to good ideas.
• Ability to empathize with another person’s struggles. Effective mentors can feel with people without feeling pity for them. Even without having had the same life experiences, they can empathize with their mentee’s feelings and personal problems.
• Ability to see solutions and opportunities, as well as barriers. Effective mentors balance realistic respect for the problems faced by their mentees with optimism about finding equally realistic solutions. They are able to make sense of complex issues and point out sensible alternatives.
• Flexibility and openness. Effective mentors recognize that relationships take time to develop and that communication is a two-way street. They are willing to take time to get to know their mentees, to learn new things that are important to their mentees (music, styles, philosophies, etc.), and even to be changed by their relationship.