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Mentoring Circle Spotlight: Meet Dana!

Our Mentoring Circles program offers women 35 and older a meaningful opportunity to build community and find guidance through a supportive, peer-to-peer mentoring experience. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming space and recognize that stepping into something new can feel intimidating, especially when it involves opening up to new people. 

In this blog post, we share the story of Dana, a woman who looked past her initial apprehension about a small group mentoring experience and took a leap into Mentoring Circles on her  journey to find support. Her experience not only gave her a sense of connection but also  transformed the way she saw herself and her possibilities. 

Dana is a higher education development professional, a woman dedicated to advancing  philanthropy and connecting donors with opportunities to support students. She  understands the value of community support and helps create opportunities for others in  her professional life but does not often take the opportunity to build those same  community connections for herself. She was struggling to find the inspiration she needed  to explore new career opportunities and took the advice of a friend.

“My very good friend Alex suggested (several times!) that I should consider joining a  Mentoring Circle. I finally took her advice, and I’m so glad I did.” Dana shared. When asked  what drew Dana to Mentoring Circles she explained, “I think like many people, I was caught  up in the busyness of life, and I was relying on myself to keep myself accountable. That  never works for me, by the way! I was grateful for Alex suggesting Mentoring Circles as a  way for me to share my goals and get weekly encouragement, inspiration, accountability,  and connection.” 

Dana shared that she is usually an introvert and doesn’t tend to be a part of small group  activities, but she knew the importance of this safe space and belonging to a community. “I  think these spaces are important because, regardless of where we’re from or what we look  like or believe, we are all navigating in and among our country’s cultural norms surrounding  women in mid-life. Some are great. Some are not. These intentional spaces provide  opportunities for great (in both size and value) information exchanges to take place among  us.”  

When asked what Dana would say to another woman considering joining Woman to  Woman Mentoring, Dana shared, “I would say, Do it! By nature, I am not a small group  girlie. Outside of my work and volunteer life, I’m fairly introverted, and the thought of sitting in a literal circle to participate in ice breakers and conversation with people I don’t know  makes me cringe! So I want to emphasize–this is not that. Mentoring Circles are weekly  facilitated meetings with purpose, and a relaxed, flexible structure, with strategic objectives.” 

We’re so glad that Dana found us and found value in what we offer as part of our Mentoring  Circles program. If you are looking for a peer group that gets you? Head to  www.womantowomanmentoring.org to join a Circle!

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