Kanchan & Lini on the Power of Mentoring
Kanchan (left) and Lini (right) at the WBTV-LP Studio.
What begins as a mentoring match can grow into something much bigger. For Kanchan and her mentor, Lini, seven years of showing up for one another has created a friendship that now extends across families, communities, and some very memorable baking projects.
Kanchan started coming to King Street Center in elementary school after her family moved across the street. A few years later when Kanchan first met her mentor, Lini, she wasn't entirely sure what having a mentor meant. She figured it was probably just "a person to hang out with."
Seven years later, their relationship has become much more than that.
"I think she's kind, there when I need her, and has taught me a lot of things in life," Kanchan shared during a recent episode of Present Time with Katherine Stamper.
For Lini, even the way she describes their relationship has changed. "In the past I would have said my mentee, but now I say my friend," she said. "Almost a family member."
More Than Advice
Over the years, Kanchan and Lini have baked together, attended soccer games, met each other's families, shared celebrations and simply spent time together.
For Lini, those experiences have changed her understanding of what mentoring can be.
One of the biggest misconceptions about mentoring, Lini explained, is that the mentor's role is to have the answers. When she first became a mentor, she thought of it largely as an advice-giving relationship. Her time with Kanchan has changed that understanding. "It's more about getting to know each other and our relationship," she said. "It really is about community building."
That community has grown far beyond two people.
"Another myth that was busted for me about mentoring was that it is a one-to-one relationship," Lini explained. "It's circles of community that also start to knit together."
Kanchan sees that circle as one of the most important parts of having people in your corner.
"I think it's important to have that circle around you who you feel supported and respected by, just like who listens to you," she said. "That circle can be two people and still have a big impact in your life in many ways that you never even thought of."
Seven Years of Showing Up
Kanchan has just entered the 10th grade. During the podcast, she reflected on how much she has grown academically and personally since she was the elementary schooler who first walked into King Street Center.
"Throughout the years, I have made so much progress at school," she said. "I'm confident enough to go in 10th grade, and I think I'm going to be great."
She added something even more powerful: "I think the younger self of me would be so proud."
When Lini was asked what she was most proud of, her answer was immediate: Kanchan. But also, she added, "the length of our relationship and our friendship."
That's the thing about mentoring. Its impact isn't necessarily found in one big moment. It's built over time by continuing to show up. And Kanchan knows exactly what King Street Center has meant in helping make those relationships possible, summing up the impact best:
"Everybody deserves a King Street in their life," she said, "because it's been a great impact on my life."
Could You Be Someone's Mentor?
You don't need to have all the answers. If you’ve been through it, you can be there for it. All you need is a willingness to build a relationship, and keep showing up for it.
Lini's advice to someone considering mentoring? "Dive in."
A match may begin with two people meeting for the first time, but as Kanchan and Lini have shown over seven years, there's no telling how far that circle can grow.
