Mentor with a Jackhammer

Who have been your most influential mentors and why?

Well, of course, my mom will always be my number one mentor. Just because she was just the epitome of compassion and strength. And, you know, I never knew how she did it, but she always did. You know, even though we were... I grew up as a single parent home... I never felt like I needed anything. I never felt that I lacked love. I never, really had a yearning for something different. She just always provided in so many ways. So she's my first mentor. And then, of course, her professionally, like my mom started in the public utility company. You know, in a nontraditional job for women -- for men. She was the only woman who was using the jackhammer to open up streets before she went in.

Oh wow! She must have been quite a sight to see -- your mom with that jackhammer.

Oh, yeah, you see, that's just the degree of who she is. "That's where the money is. I'm going to do that because I have kids to feed." So she did that before she began in the leadership position in the company. But I would say, yes, she's first. And then mentors have been a part of my journey. But what I would say about my mentoring experience, it hasn't been what people think it is. I don't sit down with a person every week or, you know, have a set agenda on what they're mentoring from me and every walk of my life and every pivotal part of my life. I've had great mentors. So if it was professors on my university campus or if it was leaders at AT&T or, you know, folks from my extracurricular volunteering activities, I've always had mentors that provided guidance, insight, support, gut checks for me along my way. And I couldn't pin one down because I feel like it depends on what part of my life I would talk about, because there's been so many that have been influential in those pivotal moments.