026 | Momentary Mentoring
Teaching as a career means you get to meet hundreds to thousands of faces, eager to get a few steps closer to their dreams. Through no fault of your own, you may have trouble remembering every single one of those faces, let alone names. As a potential role model for your students, however, you may be one of the most influential people in their lives. This is why it’s critical to make sure you always try to be authentic, present, and generous.
In this episode, I share the story of an unexpected email I received from a student I met a decade earlier. I discuss the contents of the email and why I found it strange, despite its good nature. I explain how I was reminded of who the sender was and how we met. I describe why bringing personal items in space is not something to be taken lightly. I also share my thoughts on how an otherwise ordinary experience for us might be pivotal to someone else, especially to someone younger.
"Mentoring doesn't have to involve appointment calendars or commitments. All it takes sometimes is authentic presence, real listening, and a generous spirit."
- Kathy Sullivan
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
The baffling email I received in 2008
Why taking my brooch to space was a big deal back then
Megan’s background: who she is and meeting her in 1993
How that email reignited my memories of Megan
How a common event in our life can mean much more to someone else
Resources Mentioned:
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.
In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are… spaceship not required.
Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.