Mentee Blog #1
Personally for me, finding a mentor has been quite the struggle. I have found a few candidates that I am seriously considering but building a relationship with a mentor takes time. With almost no time left in the year I have chosen my dad because I do look up to him quite a bit. My father, David Feenstra, is a dairy farmer. Having been raised on a dairy and learned the ins and outs, a lot of what I have learned has come from my dad. So with my dad being in the line of work I hope to pursue and his love for God, it kind of makes him the perfect candidate. I called my dad last week and we got into talking about the future, dads do this often from my experience. One thing we specifically worked through was my doubt of being away from the dairy and not going to a college with an agricultural program. Additionally, how would I be able to come back to an established business and be able to contribute when I am not studying anything agriculture related. Now my dad knows I am taking a management class, and with that knowledge he started asking me what I had been learning in this class this semester. As I started listing off the things we have learned he reassured me everything I have learned in management correlates to the things he does on a regular basis. He encouraged me to keep learning and that my time here at Wheaton, specifically studying business, would benefit me when I come back to the dairy. Overall. It was good to talk to my dad and work through some stuff, he's a pretty insightful guy.
This is really interesting Owen, relationship building is difficult because you have to be okay with being open and vulnerable. I'm glad you were able to confide in your dad as he probably knows you more than anyone else. This mentoring process brings a different type of relationship to the table for the better. It's awesome to see that you find connection between the course content and the experiences of the real world. You do you Owen.
ReplyDeleteHey Owen, it is great that you are able to learn so much from your dad. He is a great guy with a sick beard. It is cool that you can talk with him about how your learning now will affect your working later, and that he, since he is working the job that you will work, can help answer your question and assure you that your time at Wheaton is not being wasted.
ReplyDeleteOwen,
ReplyDeleteIts amazing to see how you look up to your dad. I think that building a strong relationship with your dad is very important. I encourage you to continually listen to God's voice and His will may be done in your life. Your dad seems very encouraging and appreciative of you. It is really awesome to see that you have a good relationship with him and chose to let him mentor you more. Thank you.
Caleb Selk
Greetings Owen,
ReplyDeleteI too have my father as my mentor. It is an interesting relationship because there are a lot of expectations that they have since we are their children as well as someone they are trying to help mentor. Our dad's both own business, but they are very different in size and structure. You plan to take the reins of the company and someday be in charge of it, where as I do not have those plans. My father's business will likely end when he stops running it. With that being said, I am proud of you Owen. Keep up the hard work and get me a Feenstra Dairies shirt soon.
Love,
Max Gierke