Voices from the Mentoring Programme

by | May 13, 2020 | Future events |

Voices from the Mentoring Programme

The Mentors and Mentees who have been connected with each other have begun their individual online meetings. The goals are to gain greater awareness of oneself and ones’ skills, get advice for the future and network through contact with a professional in the field of international security. The mentors, too, are ready and willing to learn in turn and acquire new points of view.

How is the mentoring programme going? Let’s ask the participants!

We are very happy to have also launched the first edition of the Mentoring Program in Italy, one of the pillars of the many WIIS chapters around the world, to encourage the professional development of women working in international affairs, security and defense.

Our initiative immediately gathered enthusiasm and participation, which testifies to the widespread need to promote tools so that women can acquire greater self-awareness, skills and ability to network, and progress in their career being able to count on the advice of other professionals in the field. Loredana Teodorescu

Mentoring Programme Manager

In the first month of the mentoring program, I feel very satisfied and, indeed, the progress of the program has far exceeded my expectations. My Mentor is a person with great professional skills and great empathy. We made contact as soon as the program was launched, we virtually “met” once again and from the beginning we identified the way forward. The suggestions and advice that I am receiving in this regard have proved particularly useful and valuable to me. I am sure I can get the best out of this experience. Claudia Schettini

mentee

It was very interesting to get to know each other and to realise that not only do we share interests and paths, but that we also faced, albeit at different times, the same very obstacle in our professional growth. These challenges can be overcome and the example of my mentor proves it. The first virtual meeting was a nice moment of exchange and at the end of the conversation I felt more inspired and positive, and with new ideas and perspectives on the horizon.

Karolina Muti

mentee

The first encounter with the mentee chosen for me by WIIS allowed me to find out about her expectations regarding the program and her professional ambitions. My mentee is extremely prepared and motivated and together we have discovered some affinities of character that, I hope, will help me better advise her on her journey. Valentina Savastano

Mentor

Mentoring is a shared path of mutual enrichment. In the relationship with my mentee I have discovered a precious source of exchange: of ideas, energies, projects, emotions.

Nicoletta Pirozzi

mentor

The program turned out to be more than up to to meet my expectations. I had the opportunity, not only to be able to confront myself with a professional face to face, but also to meet a strong, highly educated, capable and easy-going woman. She has always made me feel at ease in asking any kind of question, and she assists me completely, from more “technical” advice on how to present an application or regarding the drafting of motivational letters, to bibliographical advice and sites that can be useful to cultivate my new interest in the “Women, peace and security” agenda, to also share personal anecdotes of her experience in the field. I am really satisfied and happy that our chats continue, even in greater numbers than those foreseen by the program. It is not easy to ask the right questions, if you do not have clear ideas about your future. With the program, you can move step by step and find out together what are the possible paths to take.

Gaia Ravazzolo

mentee