My First Mentor: Crafting ‘Polished Diamonds’

While I can’t claim to be the top academic achiever, I can proudly say that I’ve always been one of the most active students. During my student life, from primary school to high school, I often was the captain in class. I even got voted to be the ‘class representative’ in my master’s degree in Germany. But the most wonderful time was during my bachelor’s degree, where I joined different clubs and organized many social activities. One of which was serving as the Master of Ceremony (MC) for the Year-end Party celebration in our university dormitory. Little did I know, this event would lead me to my first mentor, Professor UU.

I had the opportunity to be a student in Professor UU’s courses focusing on Developing Managerial Skills and Quality Management. Without any doubt, these are my most favorite courses at the university. Professor UU has an effective teaching method that captures the attention and interest of her students. I was really active and engaged in her class and volunteered to organize an outdoor class for one of her courses, which further strengthened our connection and led her to become my mentor beyond the classroom.

Even after the courses ended, Professor UU and I remained connected, collaborating on various projects. One such project was the Service Management Research Project, where I translated and synthesized scientific papers. These experiences not only expanded my academic knowledge but also brought me a lot of enjoyment. Professor UU dedicated her time and effort to mentor and provide me with valuable connections to relevant individuals and scholarship opportunities. Thanks to her support, I was awarded various scholarships during university time and an exchange scholarship to study in Germany, which was a significant milestone in my personal and academic journey.

In one of the recommendation letters, she mentioned that her first initial impression of me was my confidence as the MC for the Year-end Party event when I was a freshman 😊. When I first entered university, I was an average student, neither exceptionally intelligent nor academically outstanding. However, Professor UU saw something in me. Once I asked her why she chose me, but not the top student in my faculty. She said she chose those she believed had potential, those she referred to as “raw diamonds.” Because the top student knew their way, she chose the person who has the potential and just needs some support to be sharpened into “polished diamonds”. I was fortunate enough to be recognized as one of those diamonds. 💎

I am really grateful to have her as my professor and mentor, which allowed me to surpass my own expectations and thrive academically and personally. 🤗