Why Mentoring Matters!
Women Confidence Builders luncheon
Christi and I love being mentors! We have also had numerous women and men who have provided us with invaluable support and mentorship throughout our careers. We wanted to ask one of the members of the Women Construction Forum Upstate of South Carolina how she felt about mentorship. We reached out to Marissa Bischoff to tell us what mentoring means to her.
She is a recent graduate of Clemson University in May ’21. After graduating, she became Project Engineer at DPR Construction. She is currently wrapping up the Greenville County Square building with her mentor Laurie Gregory (Sr Project Manager over this build). The building is part of the largest redevelopment projects in Greenville’s history.
We were so impressed with the young professional already wanting to give back. She was the Homecoming Build Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity at Clemson, President of Clemson University Construction Women, Construction Science & Management student advisory board. And now, she is a mentor to young women seeking non-traditional roles.
Read more about her mentoring journey below:
WTC: How was Laurie’s mentoring relationship most impactful for you?
MB: Laurie’s mentoring relationship has impacted me the most by building my confidence. When I first started working full-time, I felt like I had little authority or credibility to make decisions or try things a different way. Laurie has helped me gain the confidence to manage things on my own but to still not be afraid to ask for help when I need it or do not understand things.
WTC: When did you start mentoring?
MB: I started unofficially mentoring my junior year in college to the underclassmen in Clemson University Construction Women (CUCW). I was president from my sophomore to my senior year, so members naturally started coming to me with questions. After being a part of the group for so long, after graduating, I still wanted to be involved. So, I became the “young” mentor of the group.
WTC: How did you get connected with your first mentee?
MB: I got connected with my first mentee through Habitat for Humanity in Clemson in my junior year! She was interested in volunteering and building, which sparked her interest in transferring into the CSM major.
WTC: How is your process with mentoring?
MB: I don’t really have a set process with mentoring. Since I am fairly new out of school, I was able to become friends with most of the members in CUCW to the point where I try to regularly check-in. Or, they feel comfortable enough to ask me questions ranging from internship tips to what to wear on the job site. As a young mentor with CUCW, I still attend events throughout the semester, so during this time, I get to meet new members and share my contact information with them. From there, I normally try to follow up and let them know I’m here if they ever need advice or just someone to talk to.
WTC: What are you getting out of being a mentor?
MB: I genuinely get happiness out of being a mentor. When I was an underclassman, there really was not a huge mentor system for women in construction, especially mentors that were closer to my age. It’s fulfilling to give back and help people navigate situations that I’m not too far removed from.
WTC: Anything else you’d like to add?
MB: I think it is super important to not only have a mentor but also to have someone to mentee. I believe mentors can learn just as much from their mentees. Especially being in an industry as collaborative as ours, we can all always learn something from each other, no matter the age gap or experience level.
If you would like to find a mentor, go to the Women Talk Construction Forum and introduce yourself and ask for a mentor. Another option is to find out if your company offers a mentoring program.
Share your mentor STORIES on the WTC Forum or tag us in your social post about mentoring. #mentoringmatters #makeanimpact #WTCpodcast