By Siddhi Patel
Good Morning. My name is Siddhi and I’m currently studying MBA finance here at Penn State Harrisburg, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to share my experiences as a mentee with you all today.
Oscar Wilde once said, “The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” This is exactly what we’re here to discuss, passing on good advice.
When I first decided to come to United States last fall, I was so lost. I did not know how the new place would be? What to do, how to do it, where to go, why you’re doing something, the people, the system, the culture, the transition and a thousand other thoughts. All these questions arise and often it can be overwhelming. It was like coming exactly from the other side of the world. I was scheduled to leave home in less than a month and I did not know anyone going to Penn State Harrisburg. I went through the website and I found this program and baam I registered for it and thought it was my lucky day. Guess what I got three people to eat heads and one of them was Anubha, my closest friend, guide and roommate. If it were not for this program I wouldn’t have met her. She made my transition so easy. I’ll admit that as a university student it can be extremely daunting taking your first steps in discovering all that the new place has to offer. But having a mentor to guide you and support you, not only personally but also professionally helps you to survive and perform well even after having a cultural shock. This program is just not about helping but is also about building bridges and relationships between people.
I and all the other mentees will agree that these mentors have gone an extra mile and helped us. They also went through what we are going through and have experience under their belt. They’ve been through what we’re going through now and are able to give us first hand advice on how to get through it all.
My mentor Anubha shares her experiences and thoughts with me and helps me jump the hurdles in my life and guides me through many career opportunities that we face. She is not prejudice nor critical, but rather someone whom you can always confide in and who you know will always give you the best advice possible out of the goodness of her heart. For this, I will always be grateful to her.
The mentors chosen for this program are here to provide you with support, wisdom as well as their friendship. Penn State Harrisburg is too lucky to have Miss Patty. If it was not for her no one would be here and still the students like me would be wandering in the foreign land without any goal or maps. I just could not imagine this place without a mentor.
Thank you so much Miss Patty for building this gap and giving us all an opportunity to grow and learn fast in this new environment.