Even Successful People Need Mentoring

Community Comments

By Kathleen Barton

     Mentoring is critical to a professional’s career, at any level. Studies confirm that a mentor/mentee relationship is significantly connected to career success and satisfaction, whether the mentee is just beginning or already a seasoned veteran. 
     Here’s how mentoring helped two successful Sacramento-region professionals, who tell of their interactions with dedicated mentors and how they helped them more sharply define their career goals and opportunities:  

Peggy Shannon, artistic director, Sacramento Theatre Company
Mentor: Larry Vanderhoef, chancellor, University of California, Davis   
     Shannon runs Sacramento Theatre Company and teaches drama at UC Davis. A year ago, she was satisfied she had achieved the goals she set for herself but frustrated because she had no plans for accomplishing even more.              
     Although she tells her students to develop a five-year career plan, Shannon no longer had one for herself. “I realized that a mentor would be very helpful,” she says. She determined she wanted a business professional, an educator, a visionary and someone who was accessible.
     Shannon knew Vanderhoef through their involvement with the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis. Earlier in Shannon’s teaching career, Vanderhoef had encouraged her when she felt stymied. “I realized that Larry would be the perfect mentor,” she says.            
Continued...

• Share
  • Digg This
  • del.icio.us
  • Newsvine
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Furl It
  • !Y My Web
  • Google
• Email
• Print

Recommend This

Community Comments