CPE Mentor Spotlight with Dominic Redmond

December 11, 2019

Dominic Redmond became a CPE mentor in the summer of 2018. Dominic is an account executive for iHeartMedia and learned early on what the importance of having a positive role model in your life can do for you. Learn more about CPE mentor, Dominic, below.

Why did you become a mentor?

I became a mentor because I learned the value of having guidance and support throughout my own matriculation at Howard University. If it hadn’t been for my mentor, I would have never known the multitude of career paths within my field. Beyond the professional aspect, I learned the value of having a reliable source of emotional support through mentorship. This experience made me want to be able to have that same impact in the life of someone else.

What is your favorite activity to do with your mentee?

My favorite activities to do with my mentee are new culinary experiences and dance. We both share a love of food and I love to bring my mentee to new places she hasn’t tried. My mentee, Laila, is extremely involved in competitive dance and I love that I am able to support her through attending showcases and recitals.

What is one of your mentee’s dreams?

One of my mentee’s dreams is to dance professionally. She would love to be able to dance on Broadway or do choreography for artists. Also, my mentee has a dream of becoming an accountant at a major firm.

How are you helping her achieve it?

I am helping Laila achieve it by helping her improve her GPA and finding programs that are a fit for her outside of school. This includes summer programs, weekend courses, and classes she can shadow. Also, I plan to have her do a ‘Day in the Life’ with a professional accountant.

How has CPE helped you in your mentoring relationship?

CPE has helped in my mentoring relationship by providing a detailed structure for building a meaningful relationship with Laila, providing incentives to keep her motivated beyond my own means, and creating activities that expose her to a wealth of resources that she didn’t know were available to help her attend college, such as application fee waivers, PSAT prep courses, etc.

What advice would you give anyone considering mentoring?

To anyone considering mentoring, I would tell them to make sure they are truly invested and to take the relationship beyond just helping with schoolwork. If you want to gain the trust and respect of your mentee, it takes getting to know the things that make them who they are, much of which happen beyond the realm of school. When you take the time to be invested in their whole life, it helps them to trust your guidance in and out of the classroom.