By Lynn Linde

August -- just thinking about it conjures visions of hot and hazy days, crickets and lightening bugs at night, vacations (or at least a break from work), a chance for a breather before the frenzied pace of fall begins. August provides a chance to think, reflect and plan for the future. As I continue my journey as president, August also provides an opportunity for me to reflect upon how I got here.

Many years ago, when I was a middle school counselor, a colleague who was a counselor at a magnet high school came to my school to recruit. While there, she stopped in my office to talk to me about the city chapter of the Maryland branch of our counseling association. She said, "You need to get involved. We want you to run for office." I thought about it for about 20 seconds and then said, "OK, what do you want me to do?" I have often reflected on how serendipitous a moment that was; would I be where I am now if someone had not approached me and encouraged my involvement? I'll never know the answer to that question, but it has always influenced my interactions with others.

Many people have encouraged and mentored me over the years in my graduate studies, in my career and in the professional association. These are people who saw something in me that I perhaps did not see in myself, who encouraged the potential they saw and who demonstrated through example the possibilities open to me. Does it matter whether I sought them out, whether they sought me out or whether the "seeking" was mutual? Probably not. What is important is that these mentors helped me achieve in ways I might not have otherwise.

The New Perspectives column about mentoring in the July issue of Counseling Today resonated strongly with me. As I read it, I was reminded of my experiences sitting in my adviser's office. About halfway through my master's program, my adviser, Dr. Clemmont Vontress, looked at me and said, "Well, of course you are going on for your doctorate." This was not a question or even a discussion -- just an affirmation of what he saw in me. While I had toyed with the idea of continuing on, having my adviser's support and encouragement made all the difference for me as I went through the application process, not to mention the program.

How many of you made it through graduate school or your first years as a counselor because someone looked out for you, eased the transition and/or paved the way? How many of you became a counselor because someone saw something in you and expanded your horizons to think about counseling as a profession? We often bemoan the fact that there are not enough counselors and that other mental health professionals outnumber us. We search for quality graduate students and new professionals. In the association and its entities, we spend hours talking about membership and new leadership. But counselors and leaders don't just happen; we need to "grow" them.

I believe it is my responsibility as a professional to mentor and encourage, and I believe it is your responsibility as well. When we listen to successful people talk about how they became so successful, they inevitably mention someone who nurtured and was there for them. I challenge each of you to find one person during the next year to mentor. The person can be a family member, a student or a colleague. What matters is that you establish an ongoing relationship that helps this person with his or her journey into the profession and/or leadership.

I was talking the other day with a colleague who had just returned from her branch leadership training. She was ecstatic at the number of first-time attendees. I know we will have been successful when we look out at rooms full of people we don't know -- not just people we do. So go forth and mentor.