Often one thinks of mentoring being used to prepare a mentee for a new position, where the mentor has a job role similar to the goal position. However the ACM SIGUCCS Mentoring Program has always been open to other types of mentoring relationships, where the mentor is the "guide on the side" to help a mentee reach one or more goals during the 10 month mentoring period. In 2016, Trevor and Kathy applied for the mentoring program, requesting to be paired up. Trevor, who has past experience as a mentor (to someone else) is the mentee of the pair while Kathy, who has past experience as a mentee with a different mentor, is serving as a mentor for Trevor. Our goals for the year do not include seeking promotions or attaining a professional certification. Although one of us is ostensibly the mentor, we both plan to learn and grow from this relationship. We decided to keep track of any challenges and life lessons we encounter during this year and share our thoughts at the conference for the benefit of those considering applying for the program in the future. We will keep the personal details of our mentoring sessions confidential and instead discuss in broader terms what we are accomplishing.
