When Brian Autry left his first McCausland Mentoring Night last fall, he remembers feeling grateful for the opportunity to meet with young Gamecocks who were excited about their futures.
“I was impressed by the students’ eagerness to engage in meaningful conversations and their thoughtful questions and responses. I could have stayed for hours talking with them,” he says.
Mentoring Night connects students with alumni and members of the community to help students develop critical career skills, such as networking, and to show support from the community at large.
As a proud two-time graduate of the University of South Carolina — with a bachelor’s degree in English and a law degree from the Joseph F. Rice School of Law — Autry connected with McCausland students about long days in the classroom, time on the football field and in campus organizations.
In our conversation, Autry reflected on some of his favorite moments as a mentor and the lessons he’s learned from the experience.
“The mentoring experience at McCausland is a welcoming environment that promotes healthy, in-person conversations about the transition from the academic world to a vibrant, sustainable career.”
Q: Can you share a story about one of your mentees that sticks out to you? Something that helped them through a significant challenge or perhaps celebrating a success?
I have kept in touch with a mentee from last year’s Mentoring Night, and he recently asked me to come speak to his fraternity about the legal profession and my career. I’m excited for that opportunity.
I also had the privilege of walking with a lawyer mentee through one of the darkest periods of his life, one that I did not fully appreciate until after we started working together. He reported to the South Carolina Supreme Court that our mentoring relationship was one of the things that saved his life and his career. I was blown away by that and humbled by the impact caring for people can have.
The mentoring experience at McCausland is a welcoming environment that promotes healthy, in-person conversations about the transition from the academic world to a vibrant, sustainable career.
Q: What is the most important lesson you try to instill in your mentees?
That your identity and self-worth must be rooted in eternal, objective truth and not in circumstances, the opinions of others or society’s definitions of success and failure.
Q: How has your experience as a mentor shaped your own perspective and growth?
I have learned as much from my mentees over the years as I have taught. Being able to view the world from the perspective of a younger adult is a gift, and it creates a symbiotic generational relationship that simply can’t be found in interactions with peers alone.
Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned from your mentees over the years?
The most important lesson is that everyone has a different life experience and brings their own perspective to any relationship. It’s important to listen to understand and to do your best to set aside preconceived notions and biases in order to have an enriching mentoring relationship.
Q: If you could describe the mentoring experience at McCausland College in one sentence, what would it be?
The mentoring experience at McCausland is a welcoming environment that promotes healthy, in-person conversations about the transition from the academic world to a vibrant, sustainable career
Q: What advice would you give students who are considering attending Mentoring Night for the first time?
Do it. Seriously. People are infinitely valuable and worth the investment of time and energy.