At our recent conference, we handed out questionnaires to students, including a section for those interested in being mentored by USIMP. After a significant number expressed interest, we carefully reviewed and selected mentees based on the intentionality reflected in their responses. Once the selection process was complete, it was time to introduce the mentees to their mentors.
This meetup took place on November 3rd at the University of Buea, starting promptly at 3:00 p.m. with a warm welcome from Eng. Nungmua Peter. He introduced the students to USIMP’s mission, vision, and core principles, setting the stage for an inspiring afternoon. Following his address, we moved on to introductions, allowing both mentors and mentees to share a bit about themselves.
To break the ice, we organized an engaging activity: building paper towers in teams. Each group, led by a mentor, worked together to construct the tallest tower they could. The mentors acted as guides, helping mentees navigate the task and emphasizing collaboration and problem-solving.
The exercise taught us a few key lessons:
- Teamwork is powerful: When we work together, we can accomplish much more in less time.
- Patience pays off: It’s better to take the time to do things well than to rush and end up with poor results.
- Perseverance is essential: No matter how many times we fail, we shouldn’t give up.
- Stay true to our dreams: Even if our goals are different from others’, we should remain focused on our unique path.
- Build strong foundations: A solid base is essential; without it, any success we achieve is unstable.
This hangout set a positive tone for the mentorship journey ahead, reinforcing the values of patience, focus, resilience, and the importance of a strong foundation.
