APG-L Archives

Archiver > APG > 2008-02 > 1204177887


From: Tom <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Mentoring
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:51:27 -0500
References: <646214.9901.qm@web83308.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <646214.9901.qm@web83308.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>


There are many ways to get a mentor. I got one by joining nothing,
attending no classes or conferences, and meeting no one in person. The
relationship started in 1989, it's still ongoing, and I'm still learning
from that mentor. What I did in 1989 (and I say
this----honestly----without agenda) was submit a paper to the NGS
Quarterly, and in the next thirteen years another, and another, and
another. You get the picture. What came back, via U.S. mail in the early
instances, from Elizabeth Mills was a tremendous education. (And with a
couple of graduate degrees, I have an idea of what a "tremendous
education" is.) What we learn from Elizabeth in this mailing list is a
drop in the bucket compared to what I learned from her comments on my
manuscripts, and her edits without comment, through the years. I still
ask Elizabeth to vet papers I have written, and I still learn from her.
What she taught me by editing my work, and her equally valuable repeated
encouragement, led me to start attending national conferences, apply for
certification, try speaking at national conferences, and just about
everything I've done in the genealogical world since 1989. Thank you,
Elizabeth!

Submitting work to an editor's red pen may not be the mentorship route
for everyone, but it worked for me----totally serendipitously. Although
your path to a mentor may be different from mine, it also may be
serendipitous and a "road less taken." ----- Tom


wrote:
> I would love to have a mentor.
>
> In trying to master this learning process, along with the NGS HS course and any other classes I can find locally, I have done all I can think to do to 'belong' by joining societies, attending meeting & conferences, and volunteering as many places as will have me.
>
> Doing so has gotten me speaking and research requests, but I still don't see any mentors appearing on the horizon. Along the way I have met people that on occasion have been willing to give me long answers to hard questions, and others who would point me in the right direction, but most professionals seem busy with their own work, and my road remains long and lonely, save for the conference meetings and social events.
>
> If there were a place to sign up for mentoring, I would have my name on the list. But I don't figure I'll hold my breath until someone approaches me first.
>
> Tami Glatz
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> .
>
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>

This thread: