The Mentoring Effect

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NPowerMATCH Mentor Spotlight

Meet Ebony Gladney—NPower graduate and IT Help Center Specialist at Loyola University Maryland

Ebony is an NPower Maryland graduate and IT Help Center Specialist at Loyola University Maryland. Ebony overcame significant challenges on her journey to a career in tech, facing unemployment and struggling to obtain IT certifications on her own. “NPower made me a true believer that, through patience and persistence, dreams do come true.” Now, as an NPowerMATCH mentor, she encourages trainees that they can successfully launch a career in tech and achieve their dreams just as she has with support and hard work.

What motivated you to become an NPowerMATCH Mentor? 

I believe that everyone needs a mentor no matter what stage of their career they are in. Being a mentor is more than just a title for me. It is an opportunity to share my experiences with my mentee about the different lessons that I have learned throughout my career such as: setting and achieving goals, workplace etiquette, and dealing with rejection from job opportunities.

What advice would you provide to alumni considering “paying it forward” through mentoring? 

Don’t consider the decision for too long, because if it is something that you’re interested in—just do it. Generally, I am not impulsive when it comes to decision making but deciding to become a mentor was an exception to the rule. There are so many young people who are unsure about the skills needed to progress in their careers or in life in general, but with a mentor they’ll be directed to the path of success.

What have you discovered is an unexpected reward of being a mentor?

Knowing that my mentee has someone who they can depend on whether it’s for professional or personal advice is a great reward. I am given the opportunity to impact a future tech professional, but the ultimate reward will be seeing my mentee become successful and passing along the knowledge that I shared with someone else.

The pandemic has changed the way we work and interact professionally. What has mentoring during the pandemic been like for you?

Although mentoring during the pandemic has been very different than a normal in-person mentor/mentee relationship, I have been able to adjust. I enjoy interacting with another young professional in the field of technology, and I look forward to the weekly lessons because it not only allows me to learn more about my mentee but also about myself.

Who has been a mentor that has inspired you?

Throughout my career journey, I have had two friends that have mentored and inspired me—Mrs. Shirley Mohammadi, Instructional Technology Manager at the University of Baltimore and Mr. James Mitchell Jr., Owner and CEO of Reasonable Tech Solutions in Towson, MD. Both individuals have given me various pieces of advice that have helped me develop into the professional that I am today. Shirley taught me how to handle difficult work situations because she understands the difficulties that women face in the technology field. James has inspired me by showing me what setting and achieving individualized goals should look like. When we met three years ago, he told me that he wanted to open his own Pearson Vue testing site and six months later it was up and running. It’s been a pleasure gaining knowledge and insights from them. I hope to share what they’ve taught me with my mentee and continue to inspire as I have been inspired.

Want to change lives through mentorship? Learn more and apply at npower.org/mentor to become a mentor for the next cycle.

#NationalMentorshipMonth

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Mentoring Matters

I decided to pay it forward by mentoring because people benefit from the help of others. Many mentors have helped me find a path and by offering my own experience and listening to the experiences of a mentee, I can help them find one too.
—Graham from NPower New Jersey

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Pathways to Prosperity | January 2021

2020 was a challenging year for all of us. And while we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, economic recession and racial unrest in this country, I remain optimistic that 2021 will bring about a focus on healing our nation, improving our economy and rooting out racial bias wherever it resides.

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