Dare To Be Mentoring: Meet the mentors

Dr. Archie Khuman

Senior Lecturer, Programme Leader: Artificial Intelligence | Coordinator: Peer Assisted Learning Scheme (PALS)

Why did you get involved in Dare to Be?

As a product of De Montfort I felt an obligation to make use of my experiences to positively impact on that of my mentees, by providing insight gained through experience. I think the scheme is incredibly well thought-out and provides for meaningful interactions between mentor and mentees, one which is hugely rewarding and massively beneficial for both parties.

Tell us about the mentoring experience

Incredibly rewarding. Once you build that initial rapport, you develop a sense of achievement in playing a small part in a larger story. I do favour the casual aspect of the interactions; there are no expectations; no agenda; no prerequisite. It is a chat and a discussion, where you listen and then inject your perspective. From a conversation you can bring out the best in your mentees and make them aware of just how high they can actually fly.

What would you say to someone thinking of becoming a mentor?

Do it. I have no regrets being involved with Dare to Be. The scheme is mutually beneficial for both mentor and mentees, you have the opportunity to refine your abilities and skillsets, engage with people not necessarily from your faculty. You will learn a lot about yourself.

Faeza Seedat

Placement Coordinator, HLS, DMU

Why did you get involved in Dare to Be?

I had heard about the scheme from my colleague and thought it was a really interesting and unique way to make a difference. I wanted to do something that helped and supported students but in a different way to my day job.

Tell us about the mentoring experience?

It was definitely a rewarding and positive experience; my mentee was very engaged and I learnt a lot from my mentee, about the things that were important to them, the concerns and issues they had particularly when we all went through the lockdown. It’s rewarding to know that my journey, experience and advice had a positive impact and influence on my mentee. It was impressive to see my mentee become more confident and stronger in themselves as our time together progressed.

What would you say to someone thinking of becoming a mentor?

Give it a go, it’s a small commitment that goes a long way, not just for your mentee but for yourself too. I have learnt a lot about myself, become a more active listener and been given a fresh perspective, which has, in my opinion, made me better at my day job. Your experiences and advice is valuable and can make a positive impact on someone else.

Mark Charlton

Associate Director of Public Engagement, Directorate of Social Impact and Engagement

Why did you get involved in Dare to Be?

I got involved in Dare to Be because I liked the ethos of the project and as a first time graduate in my family, I understand the importance of skills like confidence, self-belief and motivation and how they don’t always come naturally, but you can learn them and I wanted to share my experiences.

Tell us about the mentoring experience?

Mentoring is a two-way street, I tend to learn a lot about undergraduates that benefit my own work, while sharing advice and ideas. I think talking things through is important. Some outcomes are possibly more rewarding for the mentor – as the mentee is usually in the thick of exams or other challenging moments to recognise them, and that is fine, we are just here to help.

What would you say to someone thinking of becoming a mentor?

I think everyone has something to share and no two mentees are the same. You might need to be a good listener, rather than an advisor sometimes. Other days you might be helping to draw up a study schedule or talking about what makes a great CV – the most important thing is you are there, so just show up!

Kyungeun Sung

Senior Lecturer in Product Design, ADH, DMU

Why did you get involved in Dare to Be?

I have my research mentor since I started my job at DMU and have found him very helpful for my research and career development as well as my personal development. I feel really blessed to have him as my mentor. I would like to be a helpful mentor to someone else too, giving back to DMU.

Tell us about the mentoring experience

My experience as a mentor has been exciting and satisfying. It’s been great to see my mentees to be so engaged and empowered. I think the best part of mentoring is to see how much they develop and transform themselves during the mentoring and how well they do after DMU.

What would you say to someone thinking of becoming a mentor?

It does not take too much time or effort. The output is much greater than input. It’s a self-rewarding process through which we could make a significant positive impact on our students as an extracurricular activity.

Andy Morris

Employability Mentoring Manager, DMU

Why did you get involved in Dare to Be?

I run Inside Edge Mentoring at DMU which is a career’s focused approach to mentoring. I also sit on a steering group which manages the overall mentoring experience for students, and as part of that we launched Dare to Be. So as someone who has a voice and say on how that is setup, I thought it would be good to get involved in the programme myself and mentor students. 

Tell us about the mentoring experience?

For me, mentoring is an opportunity to listen and learn from students. Take quality time to sit down with an agenda that’s not ours, and actually talk to students about the stuff that matters to them, the issues they’re concerned about, things they want to learn, and what they’re interested in. It’s all about focusing on them and their particular journey. 

What would you say to someone thinking of becoming a mentor?

It's an opportunity to explore you, to explore other people, take quality time, reflect on issues that matter, get a fresh perspective on things, look at other people’s situation, and offer them a fresh perspective and maybe look at it in the context of yourself.

I have been able to develop my listening skills, my one-to-one skills, my empathy and my understanding of students’ needs.