Krista McKinley
MilitaryWomen Mentor
Retired US Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, Vice President, McKinley Trucking Co., Inc.
“Most people don’t realize what valuable information they hold until the meet someone who doesn’t have it. Such is the value of the mentorship program. Navigating the course of retirement, relocation, and civilian employment can be fraught with “I should have’s..”, or “I wish I knew ___” but when you regularly chat with someone who’s already done it then the course becomes a smooth ride. The mentorship program does well to identify each mentor and mentee so that similar backgrounds can be brought together. I got to know my mentee through informal talks and then, naturally, questions would arise that we could discuss. I helped her prioritize what was important to her and her family so that they could make the move to another state and job with confidence.”
Michael Wiseman
MilitaryEntrepreneur Protégé
Founder and CEO of MJW Lean Consulting
“I really needed to understand LinkedIn and the power of Social Media and he took me from heading down a dead-end road in the wrong direction, to establishing online credibility. Six months ago, my mentor was a complete stranger, now, I can credit him with much of my recent success. With all of the unknowns and variables, why would anyone try to do it alone? How much better is the experience and results from allowing someone to come along side and lend a hand!”
Laurel Burkel
MilitaryWomen Mentor
Retired US Air Force Colonel
“Great program for both mentors and mentees to connect and share experiences and support each other. I’ve been a mentor for a few years and have gained as much from the experience as my mentees. We don’t get the best out of life without support from and to each other.”
Fawne Littlehale
Veteran Protégé
Project Manager
“I deliberately picked a mentor who was in my local area, but I had no idea things would turn out the way they did. My mentor helped me find a temporary position in my new career field as a project manager. Now I’m getting the experience I need to be competitive for a permanent project manager job.”
Kaleah Williams
MilitarySpouse Protégé
University of Virginia, Partnership for Leaders in Education
“In just a few short weeks, my mentor has been able to connect me with a valuable contact and help me identify a position she thought I was a fit for. I applied and just received word today that I got the job! I’m really grateful for the program. Without someone to help me navigate and put in a good word for me, I would have continued to struggle, especially since I don’t have any contacts in the area.”
Laysha Kemp
MilitarySpouse Protégé
Special Education Coordinator, DC Schools
“The Military Spouse eMentor Program provided me with support, encouragement, motivation, and an overall sense of belonging. I got help with the process of relocating, which included prospective employment opportunities, great schools, and even neighborhood options.”
Bruce Falcon
Veteran Mentor
Director of Project Management, Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, Inc.
“When I left the Marine Corps I was on my own. I kind of winged it. I like to be able to help veterans now in making that transition, which can be a jump for some folks. With eMentor, I can give my protégés advice on fine-tuning what [career] area they’re looking to pursue, what organizations they should join, and how to present themselves both in person and online with sites like LinkedIn. I’ve worked with two protégés and was able to help both in the project management field.”
Ingrid Herrera-Yee
MilitarySpouse Mentor
Psychometrician, The Geneva Foundation
“[From personal experience] I know the barriers of being a military wife. Career portability is a huge issue for us. [To help my protege] I did background reading and networking on my own to learn more about her career area of interest. Then, we talked about trends in the field and looked up professional associations and certifications. We had to dig deep enough to find positions that were portable and didn’t require testing [or relicensing] with each relocation.”
Caitlin Brandl
Veteran Protégé
Career Coach, Resume & Transition Consultant – State of Montana
“My mentor made herself so immediately available to me. It was amazing to me that she was a complete stranger and was able to talk to me and see where I was coming from and she understood exactly what I needed. It was incredible and humbling to have that much support from someone I didn’t know before. When I was offered my job she was the first person I called with the news and she celebrated with me.”
Fernando Smith
Veteran Protégé
Security Officer, G4S
“My mentor and I have become very good friends. He has been a very big influence on my life and a big help in getting me where I need to be–finding jobs and making connections. My mentor helped me find a new full time job by sending me lots of job listings he found based on the kind of jobs I told him I was interested in. He also helped me re-write my resume which looks a 1000 times better than it did. Now he’s helping me with getting the certifications I need for the IT career that is my goal. I couldn’t do it without him.”
Andrea Todd
Veteran Protégé
Analyst, U.S. Government
“I consider my engagement in the eMentor Program an incredible success. Receiving encouragement from my mentor during my time of unemployment provided me motivation to continue on in my search. Now as I transition into the work space to a potential offer for a federal position she has been assisting me in making informed and beneficial career decisions. I feel like we have not only achieved the goals we set but have also become great friends…”
Kevin Smith
Veteran Mentor
Chief Operating Officer, Protrain, LLC
“If you coach your protégés like they are your son or daughter, they will succeed. They will make it. I love mentoring young people. If I were fully retired, this is all I would do…. With each protégé I learn something about them and something about me.”
Alexandria McDonald
MilitarySpouse Protégé
Environmental Consultant, CH2M HILL GmbH
“A couple months ago, I landed a position with the Environmental Division here on post, and I firmly believe it’s because of this networking site and the women behind it…”
Charles Albrecht
Veteran Protégé
Adjunct Professor, Johnson & Wales University
“My experience with the eMentor Program has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s been great to get constructive feedback, but also to hear that you are doing the right things. Now that my children have completed their military service, I told both of them to join the eMentor Program!”