Mentorship Session Diaries: See You Again

Written By: Paul VanderGriendt, Event Management Coordinator

Mentorship Session Diary. Entry 01 (January 8th)

Every One Voice One Team session starts with a song to set the mood and get people energized. I do not care who you are, you have never seen a zoom meeting like this. Positivity is off the charts. Energy is off the charts. You can feel it in your bones. Orlando Bowen always says, “if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” The sessions are all about community, sharing and growth.

Starting up the conversation, everyone was jumping in and talking about facing challenges and adversity. Everyone has a unique situation, but everyone can also work towards finding opportunities in the tough situations we face. All the amazing things that happen in life are sometimes overshadowed by the terrible things. Having the right perspective to focus on the positive as opposed to the negative, can be powerful. Each person possesses the ability to overcome challenges if they have the courage to work hard and focus on the things they can control.

Lockdowns are challenging us all. Perspective is important here too. The connection is not the same with our work or school, with our family or with our friends. But there is still a connection. Being able to adapt and commit to staying connected throughout this lack of physical interaction is important. Being present using the capabilities of technology we can stay together, stay motivated and stay positive through challenging times. Let us do what we can with what we have.