Why Offering Mentorship to Students is a Win-Win

*Please note mentoring photo is from pre-COVID times*

Lenovo’s Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for North America, Marshae Mansfield, takes great pride in being a champion for the global tech leader’s customers, employees, and the organizations she personally gives her time and talent to – including being a mentor to NAF students through the Lenovo Annual Mentor Program (LAMP).

LAMP is just one of the many ways Lenovo and NAF have partnered to provide high school students with opportunities that drive home the importance of STEM skills and careers. Since 2014, Lenovo has spearheaded programs like the Lenovo Scholar Network and ‘Lenovo in the Classroom’ that continuously inspire and prepare the next generation of talent to become future innovators and entrepreneurs. Their employees and volunteers have also leveraged personal areas of expertise and hosted work-based learning activities, such as mock interviews, resume reviews, and job shadows, to help prime students for success. Lenovo’s commitment to ensuring young people unlock their potential has culminated in hosting 140 NAF interns at their North Carolina headquarters, as well as virtually, over the course of our partnership.

When the pandemic first struck, it caused seismic shifts for many, but it did not alter Lenovo’s pledge to provide meaningful work-based learning experiences for NAF students. As a result, Lenovo launched a virtual mentoring development series the Summer of 2020, which took nearly 15 students on a six-week mentoring journey, where they received one-on-one time to learn and discuss their careers, resumes, presentation skills, personal brands, and more, in small, focused groups with their mentors. They also were also invited to join several Lenovo virtual workshops, along with Lenovo’s college interns, throughout the process.

Based on the success of this valuable program, Lenovo hosted the series again this past summer. Despite challenging times, this “all-in” NAF partner nimbly pivoted to design this virtual mentoring experience and allow students to make connections with industry professionals – while gaining college and career guidance.

Mansfield shared, “The work NAF does is meaningful and inspiring and I’m so proud to support it.”

“I felt like I learned just as much (or more) from the students I worked with,” she added. “Whenever I interact with students, I can’t help but notice that they bring a youthful infusion of input and hard work. They grew up in a time dramatically different than I did, thus bringing diversity in thought that Lenovo and I can greatly benefit from.”

Offering mentorship to students is a win-win for both young people and mentors. Past NAF interns have shared that their experience at Lenovo was what helped them to discern their career paths. For some, a mentor may be their first introduction to a work experience, so thoughtful guidance is crucial to creating a positive experience for both the student and mentor. A mentor’s responsibilities don’t only include assisting students with their tasks and projects, but also helping to build necessary soft skills.

Mansfield strongly encourages others to consider mentoring a student and believes it to be one of the most rewarding experiences. Leading by example, she was able to share some of the same skills and values with them, as she did with her own team.

“There is so much significance in developing soft skills, as you are growing your career, that go beyond what can be learned from a book,” she said.

Especially in virtual environments, it’s even more imperative for mentors to also think about how to remain connected with their mentee.

Mansfield imparted, “I sought to create a ‘safe space’ whenever I met with my mentee. I may be an executive, but I wanted my mentee to feel safe to share any questions, lessons, or thoughts with me as if we were peers.”

January is National Mentoring Month, and as the saying goes, “there’s no time like the present.” You too can become a mentor to NAF academy students! This unique opportunity offers a chance to play an active role in expanding the face of the future workforce while making a life-changing difference!

Find out how you can get involved.