January is National Mentoring Month and it is our chance to thank the mentors who are making a difference in our student-athletes’ lives. Youth with mentors are more likely to hold leadership positions, go to college, volunteer and become mentors themselves. Our mentors help our student-athletes navigate decisions about school, rowing, college and careers. Thank you so much to our mentors for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their wisdom and advice with our students.
Becoming Inspired Through Mentoring
by Kasey C. Colander, mentor to Queens student-athlete Naya
Mentoring through Row NY provides a unique opportunity to connect with current rowers who share an appreciation for the sport. At our first event last fall, we all met at one of the Row NY boathouses and were introduced to the entire mentor/mentee class. Since then, we’ve gone bowling as a group and are currently working to plan another event this weekend.
The program is just as impactful for mentors as mentees. The program reminds me of the most impactful mentors in my life, many of whom were older rowers, and how the lessons rowing teaches create a bond between athletes, both current and former. Discovering how driven the Row NY student-athletes are, who often travel over an hour to practice every day, inspires me to show the same commitment as a mentor.
Celebrating the Power of Mentorship
by Sarah Hirshorn, mentor to Queens student-athlete Daniela
I have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from the guidance and support of a variety of great mentors. As a result, I’m especially supportive of looking for ways to foster mentorship opportunities for others. I joined the mentorship committee on the Row New York Associate Circle a few months ago and also signed up to be a mentor. My decision was reaffirmed when I had my introductory phone call with mentee Daniela and was struck by her enthusiasm and kindness. She told me a bit about her involvement with Row New York and personal/academic interests. We made plans to meet for breakfast before my work day and her school day.
During our breakfast, I asked Daniela if she would be open to doing a goal making exercise and she agreed. I explained that one of my own pivotal experiences involved working with a mentor who taught me about goal making, nutrition, and mindset as I prepared to compete at an indoor rowing championship during my junior year of high school. This mentor helped me to map out my dreams into actionable steps that I could chip away at every day. She played a pivotal role in my development that ultimately helped me to get recruited as a lightweight rower at Stanford. The toolkit she gave me allowed me to navigate the wonderful academic and athletic journey I had in store. I personally found that a helpful way to structure goals is by making a “what, how why” chart. In these charts, “what” is the goal you’d like to achieve, “how” is the actionable step to get there, and “why” is the overarching motivation fueling that goal. We discussed Daniela’s goals and together started to put together the goal map.
Later in the day, Daniela sent me a picture of her typed up goal map. I smiled thinking about how I saw elements of my younger self in her. When I asked Daniela about how the experience has been so far she said
“Row New York has been an impactful organization. Not only has it helped athletically but also academically and preparing for my future, by pairing me with an amazing mentor who has guided me into the right path so I can live a successful life whether I’m rowing or focusing on my academics.”
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