Dragons’ Den’s Arlene Dickenson speaks at MRU
Mentorship program MRU invites iconic mentor to teach students to be positive role models for their peers
Albina Khouzina
Features Editor
The new Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship program at Mount Royal University recognizes just how beneficial mentors can be, and officially launched the program on Oct. 1 with Arlene Dickenson, from Dragons’ Den as the guest speaker.
The program is open to all students at MRU and connects them with alumni or community partners. Mentorship can provide guidance, connect you with people and help with leadership skills. To sign up as a mentee, students must be in either third or fourth year of their degree, or second year for diploma students.
Arlene Dickenson spoke to a hall full of mentors and mentees about her success and failures.
“A good mentor is going to help you think about a problem in a unique way and help you find your own answer as opposed to delivering an answer,” Dickenson said.
The business icon said she believes that a good mentor is someone that will help you figure things out on your own, “letting them think for themselves by asking them questions that they haven’t asked themselves.”
Dickenson said she didn’t really have official mentors in her life, but always had people helping along the way, with her father who is an entrepreneur himself and still an ongoing mentor in her life — playing an instrumental part in helping her grow.
With the help of the mentorship program at MRU, you can be set up with someone who can help you overcome your current challenges. It is always better to have an ally that will help you work through your problems.
Students will often face trials since they are just starting out and can take more risks — which can sometimes lead to failure. Dickenson said that people should not fear failure and “it’s okay to fail because from failure comes learning.”
“First, be unafraid to make a mistake, and then be responsible for the mistakes you make,” Dickenson advised.
A mentor is someone who is knowledgeable and can teach the mentee, regardless of age. It’s important to look for someone who is right for you, and the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship program may help set you up with the right mentor.