Men in Mentorship: A Conversation Worth Continuing
Different generations. Different industries. Different backgrounds. One conversation about showing up for the next generation.
A few weeks have passed since we gathered for Men in Mentorship, but many of the stories and perspectives shared that day have stayed with us.
The event brought together four local leaders for an open conversation about mentorship, the people who helped shape their lives and the role each of us can play in doing the same for someone else.
Our panel included Ruben D. Henderson III, representing the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated; Jerry Prejean, Acadiana Market President and Private Client Executive at First Horizon Bank; Marshal Reggie Thomas, Lafayette City Marshal; and Kenneth Boudreaux, Chair of the Lafayette City Council, District 5.
Each brought a different perspective to the conversation, shaped by their own careers, families and life experiences. But as they shared their stories, one message continued to rise to the surface:
None of us becomes who we are entirely on our own.
Looking Back at the People Who Shaped Us
One of the most meaningful parts of the conversation was hearing our panelists reflect on the people who poured into them along the way.
Mentorship doesn’t always come with a formal title. It can be a parent or grandparent, a teacher, coach, colleague, community leader or simply someone who took the time to listen and offer guidance when it was needed.
Sometimes we don’t even recognize those relationships as mentorship until years later.
That is part of what has stuck with us since Men in Mentorship. The conversation gave everyone in the room an opportunity to look back and consider a simple question:
Who showed up for you?
Who encouraged you when you needed it? Who challenged you? Who opened a door, offered advice or helped you see something in yourself that you hadn't recognized yet?
Those people become part of our stories.
And eventually, we have the opportunity to become part of someone else’s.
Turning Reflection Into Responsibility
As much as Men in Mentorship was about looking back, it was also about looking forward.
If someone took the time to invest in us, what do we do with that investment?
Who are we showing up for now?
At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana, that question is at the heart of what we do.
We see what can happen when a young person has another caring adult in their corner. Someone who listens. Someone who encourages them. Someone who celebrates their wins and helps them work through the difficult moments.
Being a mentor doesn't mean having all the answers. It doesn't require a certain career, background or life experience.
It starts with being willing to show up consistently and build a relationship.
And while that may sound simple, its impact can reach much further than we realize.
The Conversation Was Never Meant to End There
Looking back, one of our biggest hopes for Men in Mentorship was that the conversation wouldn't end when the event did.
The stories shared by Ruben, Jerry, Reggie and Kenneth gave us an opportunity to think about mentorship in a very real and personal way. Not simply as a program or an idea, but as something many of us have experienced throughout our own lives.
Weeks later, those stories still leave us with something worth thinking about.
There are young people throughout Acadiana discovering who they are, what they care about and what they want their futures to look like.
And there are adults throughout our community with experiences, lessons and encouragement worth sharing.
Sometimes, those two people just need an opportunity to meet.
Who Will You Show Up For?
We remain incredibly grateful to Ruben D. Henderson III, Jerry Prejean, Marshal Reggie Thomas and Kenneth Boudreaux for sharing their experiences so openly, and to everyone who joined us for Men in Mentorship and helped make the conversation so meaningful.
But perhaps the greatest impact of the event will be what happens after it.
A conversation that leads someone to reconnect with a mentor.
A story that changes how someone thinks about their own influence.
Or one person deciding they’re ready to show up for a young person who could use another person in their corner.
Because the people who showed up for us helped shape who we became.
Now we have the opportunity to do the same for someone else.
Who will you show up for?
Learn more about becoming a Big and being someone a young person can count on.
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