January’s Mentor of the Month: Ron Meyers CC’92

Congratulations to Ron Meyers CC’92 for being selected as our Mentor of the Month for January. Meyers has been mentoring Andrew Sobelsohn CC’19 for the past seven months. In addition to in-person meetings, Meyers has invited Sobelsohn to shadow him in his office and meet his colleagues.

“Connecting with Ron has afforded me new perspectives and guidance on my postgraduate plans, incredible career advice and the opportunity to connect with other professionals in his industry,” Sobelsohn says. Without a doubt, the relationship I have forged him will continue to serve me during my time at Columbia, and beyond, and reminds me of the strength, enthusiasm and ability of Columbia alumni.”

Interview with Ron Meyers CC’92

What has your experience mentoring been like?

Being in contact with Andrew was really one of the best experiences I’ve had in my whole relationship with Columbia.

Mentoring has played a huge role in navigating my own career and experiences. Learning from the experience of others is crucial if you want to understand the world and your place in it. Finding your way in life and work involves so much more than you can imagine when you’re 20 or 22, and so much more than college or even professional school can teach. I wish I had known that when I was younger, and I’m very pleased to share it.

Is there any advice you would give a student who is looking for a mentor?

(1) Make use of the Odyssey Mentoring Program. You have no idea how fortunate you are to have alumni mentors available to you. Open yourself to what they have to offer.

(2) It’s very important to seek advice, and then it’s very important to receive it critically. Treat the advice-seeking process the way your would treat research for a term paper — gather the information, consider the arguments and counter-arguments and assert your agency by forming your decisions through your own active process of reflection and self-knowledge.

About the Odyssey Mentoring Program

The Odyssey Mentoring Program (OMP) was founded on the belief that Columbia College students and alumni want to support one another, share stories and encourage one another’s success, thus creating a strong and tight-knit community. The College has more than 50,000 alumni working in myriad careers and around the country. OMP makes it possible for community members to connect in a variety of ways, from an email exchange to in-person meetings and small group gatherings.