I wrote recently about the value of good mentors. I think one of the most valuable things a student learns in college is how to do the kind of work that will pique a mentor’s interest. Hard work and potential are like magnets that draw the right people to help you be greater than even you thought you could be.
One of my mentors, my good friend and Collegewise general manager Paul Kanarek, is celebrating 30 years with The Princeton Review. On Friday night, we threw him a small surprise party to celebrate. The guest list included Paul’s family, a few long-time employees, old friends who started at The Princeton Review at the same time Paul did, and a local high school counselor who came to know and rely on Paul over her own 30-year career.
Throughout dinner, each of us shared some thoughts about Paul and this milestone. Some of the sentiments included:
“I don’t come from business. I was a high school counselor who spent my career working with poor kids. And every time I called Paul, anytime I or my kids needed anything, he was there. Every time he’d come to my school and speak to my students, he would light a fire under them.”
“I left my job and came to work here so that I could learn from you.”
“You taught me that work didn’t have to be something that we should need to take a vacation to escape from.”
“You taught us all by example how to be generous with our time and our expertise.”
I share this for two reasons. First, Paul is important to Collegewise, not just because he helps me run it now, but because he’s always been a loyal supporter. He was even a customer of ours when his own son applied to college.
But more importantly, while I can confidently say that there is nobody in the universe like Paul, there are countless smart, generous, potential mentors out there who can teach and inspire you the way Paul has done for so many people. Do the work. Show the potential. And most importantly, be hungry to learn. Be open to suggestions and advice from people who know what they’re talking about.
If you’re attracting the interest of potential mentors, you’re doing something right.