Leaders and Learners: How to Foster an Impactful Mentoring Relationship with Alexis Jeffries '08 and Janea Wilson '22

CAT RECKELHOFF: Welcome to Northwestern Intersections, a podcast where we talk to alumni about how key experiences have propelled them in their life's work. I'm your new host, Cat Reckelhoff from the Northwestern Alumni Association.

On the occasion of mentorship month we've invited mentor, Alexis Jeffries, and mentee, Janea Wilson, to talk about their experiences in the Affinity Leaders and Learners Mentorship Program. The ALL Program is an identity-based mentorship program that connects undergraduate students to alumni leaders. And strives to create a more tailored experience for students seeking identity-based mentorship.

Mentor Alexis Jeffries is a Technology Product Strategist, Adjunct Professor, and active Angel Investor based in Los Angeles. She currently serves as a Business Product Marketing Lead in the Ads division of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, specializing in regulated industries, anti-discrimination efforts, travel, and entertainment product solutions. She also leads Meta's Racial Justice and Ads Product Equity strategic initiatives.

Mentee Janea Wilson is a fourth year undergraduate student at Northwestern where she studies journalism and anthropology. In her time here she has been a staffer at the Daily Northwestern, a mentor with Supplies for Dreams, and dances for Dale Duro Latin Dance Company. Currently she is co-chair of A&O Productions, a group responsible for bringing live entertainment to campus.

Welcome to Intersections, Alexis and Janea.

JANEA WILSON: Hi.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Thank you for having us.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for being on the show. I'm so excited to have you all here with me today. So we like to start off each episode of Intersections by first hearing about your Northwestern journey and the key experiences that you've had here. So Alexis, I hope you don't mind starting things off. Could you tell us what brought you to Northwestern? And were there any significant moments or experiences that had a real impact on you?

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Sure, so I wanted to study journalism, kind of simple as that. I think I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a writer. So I researched writing and journalism programs in high school and discovered Northwestern. That being said, I am from California. So the idea of willingly attending college in a cold climate, far away from my family, was a major pill to swallow, to say the least.

But the caliber of the journalism program in Medill, combined with the Big Ten sporting events, and the very social campus atmosphere, and the proximity to Chicago, all of those things really skyrocketed Northwestern into becoming my top choice school. So that's kind of what landed me at Northwestern.

But then, as it pertains to some experiences once I got there, one of the defining moments of my time at Northwestern, and perhaps my life, really came in the first quarter of college. It was like fall quarter, freshman year. And I was taking an African-American history class. I think it was a survey of African-American literature. But I'm not entirely sure.

But I was so jazzed to be in this class. Like reading Black authors, and learning content, and gaining context that I never learned throughout the entirety of my education up until that point. So, to my surprise, the professor, a Black woman, asked me to visit her office hours. Only to tell me that my writing wasn't up to par. So that she didn't know how I got into Northwestern or Medill, due to my writing at that level.

And I'm, to this day I'm still convinced that she must have mistaken me for another student. Because I think I ultimately ended up getting a B in her class. So I was not so far off that I was completely flailing. However, I share that story to say that shortly into my tenure at Northwestern I was given this rude awakening to the fact that this academic experience wasn't going to be easy. Nor would be my acclimation to places and spaces that I had never been exposed to before. And I wouldn't likely be warmly welcomed into these spaces, necessarily, as a woman of color. I had been this little Black girl from Los Angeles who was at the top of her class and had never gotten anything short of a B-plus her entire academic career.

So then I got to Northwestern and learned, I think for the better, that none of my excellence up until that point would be accounted for in these new spaces. So I needed to really be ready and find ways to fortify myself academically, emotionally, mentally, so that I could make it through the gauntlet that was this elite academic institution.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Alexis, thank you so much for sharing that story. Can you tell me a little bit about what you did after you left Northwestern?

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Sure. So my first job out of Northwestern, I became a business journalist. Was that part of the plan when I was in school at Medill? Absolutely not. I wanted to be an entertainment journalist to be on red carpets and interview celebrities. But during my time in school I did my journalism residency actually at Money magazine and worked at the now-defunct publishing house, Time Inc. And Money was, and perhaps still is, the largest personal finance magazine in the country.

So I had done a decent enough job during my internship that I was offered a full-time position upon graduation. And I moved to New York City and became a reporter for Money magazine. So that's kind of where I landed and how I landed fortunately on my feet upon graduation.

CAT RECKELHOFF: So from Northwestern you went to Money magazine. And I know from our previous conversation that you became very interested in the personal finance aspects of Money magazine. And you were also thinking a little bit about mentorship as well and finding a mentor. Would you mind talking a little bit about how you went about and found a mentor for yourself?

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Definitely, with that first job out of college I figured if the real journalism world is anything as rigorous as Medill was, I'm going to need some major guidance and support like that.

So I quickly sought out and latched on to a woman named Sheryl Hilliard Tucker, who was the Executive Editor of the now defunct publisher, Time Inc. And she was a Black woman who had been the Editor-in-Chief of Black Enterprise magazine. And she had been the Executive Editor of Money magazine. And then she ultimately went on to lead Essence. And she was just a journalism heavyweight.

And I was this young little journalist who was working at Money. And I didn't know anything about money or personal finance. I didn't have any money, so, in a very real way as this young, broke journalist in New York. So I really leaned on Sheryl. I think that helped give me guidance. And helped me navigate this new world of professional journalism, particularly in the business journalism space.

And as it happened at the time, there was maybe more than, a little more than a handful of Black business journalists in the country. And being 22 years old and a fresh Medill grad at the largest personal finance magazine in the country, Sheryl really, I think, made it her duty to see that I had her undivided attention. And that was really impactful for me. Because that job was really hard for me. You know? I didn't know anyone who kind of made the type of money that the people made who I was writing for. So I lacked a lot of perspective in that sense. But from that experience I will say, I now work with my mentees to try to provide them with the same level of undivided attention that I think I received from Sheryl. Because I think it's so important for them to feel heard and seen.

And this world, and in particular corporate America, will make women, and people of color, and underrepresented folks from different names or various identities feel really small. And it's not always on purpose. But sometimes it is. It's by design. And it's really easy to feel lost and unsure about yourself and how to navigate these spaces that weren't ever built for us or really designed for us in mind.

So I guess to me, being a good mentor in that sense is really about talking with my mentee, like Janea. And really listening to their perspective on things and trying to talk through how they might manage or handle things if they were to consider a different option or do things in a different way. So to me, lending a listening ear is really a valuable thing to me that I think I learned from my mentorship relationship with Sheryl.

CAT RECKELHOFF: That's wonderful. So Sheryl not only was able to help you navigate this new and intimidating world as a fresh Medill grad. But was also able to really emulate a lot of qualities in a mentor that you are now emulating yourself.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Totally.

CAT RECKELHOFF: That's fantastic I want to return to what makes a good mentor and a good mentorship. But I want to circle back to Janea, because we have not heard from you yet. We haven't had a chance to really talk about your Northwestern experience which right now is ongoing. You're a fourth year, fourth year undergraduate. Graduation is coming up for you soon. I'm sure that incites a lot of various feelings of excitement, and anticipation, and anxiety.

But, Janea, I would love to hear a little bit about what brought you to Northwestern. And what have been some really, what have been some important experiences for you so far?

JANEA WILSON: Yeah, similarly to Alexis, I also came to Northwestern for journalism. In high school I was involved with my school's paper. And I knew I wanted to go into journalism. And Northwestern, like Medill, is the best school for journalism. So I'm really happy that I'm here for that. But I also, really, I have a lot of other interests. I'm double majoring. And I think that was another pull that brought me here.

Just like the quarter system and the flexibility that is, that we're offered through the quarter system. And I think like, a saying that people say which can have some negative connotations sometimes, but AND is in our DNA. I think that's something that definitely attracted me to Northwestern. Because during my time here I've been able to take a lot of really fun classes, even if they're outside of my major. And I don't know if that's something that I would have been able to do at a different school.

And just also, I feel like a lot of my extracurricular activities have nothing to do with journalism or nothing to do with anthropology. So I really have enjoyed being able to kind of like fulfill a lot of my interests. And find many different ways to find those communities, which has been really important for me, definitely a big part of my experiences here.

I think, too, something that I really, really valued since I've been in Northwestern is just the access that you have to so many different things. Like obviously you have libraries on campus and those have a lot of content. But also just our professors have been really great resources. And also just the, even with the alumni community, there are people who, like Alexis, who are just really great resources. But also, I would cold email people because I found they were also Medill alums or went to Northwestern. And they're always wanting to connect, just because of that Northwestern connection. And so that has been something that I've definitely tried to take advantage of more now, before I graduate. To just know there is a wide, wide net of Northwestern alums out there in like every field, essentially.

So that's something that I have really enjoyed. And I think just being able to connect with people who were in my shoes and might know exactly what it's like to be a student here and seeing how they have grown from that. And how they use what they were offered here to shape their own careers. And yeah, it's something that I have definitely enjoyed a lot.

And I think another aspect of Northwestern and my Northwestern experience is just like, the amount of opportunities I've had to have real world experiences. So I think a big, a big part of my experience, was I did the Medill on the Hill Program, Winter 2020. Which was like such a wild time looking back.

The day we got there, it was the day that the Iranian general was killed. So that just, lots and lots of wild things happening politically. But that was also a really big experience for me. Because it was one of the first times I was reporting and doing a lot of journalism production on my own in such a broad field. And there's just so many different people who are working in journalism.

So I'd be at meetings at the Capitol, or meetings wherever, and there's people from The New York Times sitting right next to me. So I think that was also a moment where I kind of realized that, wow, everything that I want to do is possible. Because I'm already in these spaces with these people who are doing the work that I want to do. I'm just doing it on a different, slightly different level. But it's pretty much the same thing.

And I think before that I was always really nervous, especially about going into journalism. But just like, not really feeling like the field was more about just who you knew. And a lot of those sort of dynamics. And just like the connections you had, which that is a big part of it and definitely helps a lot. But I think also just it helped me realize the skills that I have.

It was definitely a point of a big confidence builder for me, at least, just because I was working with people that I looked up to. Like we were all in the same room doing the same thing. So that was definitely something that I feel like that was a point in my career. I was fighting against imposter syndrome for so long. And that was a point where I kind of realized, oh, I am qualified to do this. That was something that was really important for me.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Yeah, I think imposter syndrome is something that is so common when you're a student. And when you leave, the idea of, do I have the experience and the skill set? And do I know the right people in order to do this? Because I think you find a little bit of that in every field, of feeling like you need an insider to help get you in. And that can be really intimidating and really challenging to navigate.

Really happy to hear that you've had these experiences that have helped sort of break down that imposter syndrome. And also you have an excellent mentor like Alexis, who has been there and back again. And I think, I'm assuming, you can definitely tell me about it more in a minute. I'm sure she's been able to offer you a lot of insight that has also helped break down some of those anxieties, and helped you, and helped you navigate around.

So I think, actually, it's a really good time to talk a little bit about the ALL Program, which both of you are participants in. So Janea, tell me a little bit about why you chose to participate in the ALL Mentorship Program

JANEA WILSON: Yes, so I found out about the program through a professor, actually. And she just brought it up in class one day and was like, oh, if anyone is interested, you can fill out this form and be a part of the program. And I hadn't really known anyone who'd been a part of it. But I was like, oh, this could be really interesting. And I think the part that, I just really liked how it was an affinity-based program.

And so I knew, I feel like that's something that I kind of worry about sometimes. It's just like, oh, are there any Black people who are going to be a part of this program? So knowing already from that, I'm going to get paired with someone else who is Black, that was something that was really encouraging for me. And also just knowing they will also be like working in a field that I wanted to go into. So it's kind of like it did a lot of the filtering out that I would have wanted to do, already.

And so I also just feel like Northwestern alums are like, they're amazing. And they do so much with you. Like okay, it won't hurt. And my experience has been amazing. Like Alexis is an amazing mentor. And I think some of the things that I really wanted to talk about going into us meeting was obviously like, what to do after graduation. And how to navigate preparing for graduation and post-graduation plans. Because when I joined the program, I think I was halfway through my junior year. So kind of thinking about graduation but it was still a year away. Now I'm like six months out and that's really scary. But I think I definitely just wanted to talk to someone who had already graduated Northwestern and knew what the transition was like but also had had career changes, because I honestly don't see myself working in journalism for the rest of my life.

But I think I am interested in media in general and just working in that realm of, like in that field. Just, I think that's where I find my interest. But I don't know if I really want to write forever. So it was really good for me to, that's also another option: when you could pick through what you were looking for in a mentor, like if they had career changes. And so that was something that I was really interested in learning more about.

Because I think there are a lot of times where people will say, oh, you can just have a side hustle and that can be your new job. Or you can just try this new thing. But there's no like, people just say those things without giving you actual instructions and saying, "oh, well, I got my foot in this door by doing x, y, and z..." It's kind of like, they just tell you to do it. And it's like, well, how?

So it was really, really nice to be able to talk to someone who had done those things and be able to ask questions. Like, "oh, well, how did you do this? How did you decide that you wanted to go into this field when all of your experience was in this field?" So that was something that I really enjoyed. And I think that's something that has definitely kind of demystified what it means to have a career change.

Because I don't know. I think for me, my parents have kind of been doing the same careers their whole lives. And most of my family have been doing the same thing. So I don't really know anyone who had went from working in journalism to working in computer science, just as an example. Or just, I haven't known anyone who can make those career jumps.

So I think it was definitely something that I thought. Oh, if you leave your job, it's over. You're not going to have any more connections in any field. What if you're not going to be able to make a name for yourself in this new field? But that's obviously not the case. But that was just something I wasn't really familiar with. So I really enjoyed being able to talk with Alexis about how to make those transitions.

And I think, too, in our conversations, I've kind of learned that transitions are just like a part of life. Your full form is not always meant, it's not like, oh, you're transitioning to this thing. But once you get there you can keep moving on. And I think that's something that has been really important for me, especially when it comes to just thinking about the career I want for myself.

CAT RECKELHOFF: I just think it's so impressive that you're already thinking so far ahead about what you want out of your future and knowing that you might want to make that transition. I think something that's become very common in some of the younger generations is this idea that you can make transitions and preparing yourself to make transitions. And not a lot of folks know how to do that.

Because it's just like you said, it's this idea of, "I did this". It's as simple as that. But then you have folks like Alexis who have already successfully made that transition and can actually offer you highly tangible steps for doing so. And being able to offer real experiences and real advice. So like you said, it demystifies the idea of a transition. And we break down this idea of: you have to be in one field for the rest of your life to make a name for yourself. We're all starting to realize that's not true.

Alexis, I know you mentioned previously that because you had this really great mentor you really started to think about how you could give back. And how you could be this point of connection for Northwestern students that you didn't have when you were there. I know that's a big part of the reason that you chose the ALL Program. I welcome you to talk a little bit about that more.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: I referenced my connection to a mentor who is still very actively a part of my life and career journey. But I met that person upon graduation. So that's not to say that I didn't have mentors of sorts throughout my collegiate journey. But I will say specifically that I decided to participate in the ALL Program because I kind of considered it my duty to give back.

It was after the racial reckoning of the summer of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. But I had always been very actively engaged in a lot of projects, extracurricular activities, so to speak, that are fighting for justice and access. Janea threw that word around. And that's similarly a very core tenet for me is access, and justice, and progress.

And so I, plain and simple, just figured I have gotten to a point in my life and career where I could give of myself and speak my experiences in a really authentic, genuine way. And if that advice that I had would help anyone, I wanted to offer it.

The ALL Program gave me that opportunity to like connect with a Black Northwestern student who also happens to be a Medill student and a young woman. And that, understandably, was my sweet spot. Because I'd had that as lived experience.

So yeah, I felt responsible to some degree for providing some level of support to the student whose shoes I had quite literally once been in. Especially now that I had accomplished a modicum of the goals that my Northwestern education was designed to help me reach.

So kind of like a personal mission to create access, and make progress, and work for the fight for justice. Those are three very key parts about me and my life's work and mission. And participating in mentorship programs like this align really well to those tenets.

CAT RECKELHOFF: I think that's a really incredible thought, that another form of fighting for justice and bringing that reckoning is through mentorship and it's through uplifting others. And it's through uplifting the next generation and allowing them that access. It's funny, I wrote down something that you had said in our initial conversation. You said that perspective opens a window but access opens a door. Would you say that a large part of your mentorship ethos is being able to provide that for your mentees?

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Oh, totally. I think I've learned that supporting a student of color, whether it's like a formal mentorship program or through other ways and means, it's really another tool that our community can leverage to advance ourselves and drive change. We often think about giving of our money to an alma mater and we should do that. Or giving of our time by serving on a committee, or on a board, and we should do that, too.

But we often neglect this concept of giving our emotional support, and guidance, and insight. And perhaps that's because we don't feel like we have a lot of that to spare, as many of us have really busy professional lives and high-performing careers and major responsibilities. But supporting an underrepresented student like Janea at Northwestern for me has been really awesome because I could have used that support when I was there. So thankfully, I think I turned out all right. But my time, even as an alum, has been so much more fulfilling, now I knowing that I've been able to support Janea and other students. And to see that support has helped her make decisions. It really helped her contribute to her own Northwestern experience.

And for me, it helped me feel like I am contributing to advancing the next generation of, in this case, young Black female journalists and Medill grads. And so, I think as a result, my hope is that Janea will turn around and repeat the cycle when it's her time to offer support, and guidance, and perspective. Because that's just yet another way that we, as women of color, can advance and progress our community into becoming thriving abundance.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Yeah, you're building really important networks where there's a lot of valuable support given through that emotional labor that you were talking about. And that's so, so important as you've underlined. There's the giving of time, and the giving of money, but the giving of yourself. That's wonderful. That was so great. Thank you, Alexis.

So Janea, I know you talked a little bit about being able to speak to Alexis about how to make that career transition. And Alexis has really offered real world experiences and examples to you. Were there any experiences where you were interned somewhere, or perhaps just a student at Northwestern, where you were able to draw on an experience that Alexis had shared with you? Or any sort of advice that she'd given you that was really helpful for you that moment?

JANEA WILSON: Yeah, I definitely can think of many, many times, especially going into my internship last summer. So I was working with USA Today, editing intern. And I was really excited. But I was also really nervous going in just because I was one of the only interns working on the team. So I was really nervous about that. I also wanted to get... There's just a lot of nerves.

So I remember I talked to Alexis about this before, just how to kind of like prepare for it. Especially when it came to getting to know people and making sure people knew me and knew my skills. So that was something that was definitely useful, just knowing how to prepare for that, especially in a virtual sense.

But I also, this is not really something that has to do specifically with an internship or a specific job, but I think about this just like often. Especially when it comes to me graduating soon and looking for a job. One of the things that, because I have a lot of different interests. And I don't really know which area will pull me the most.

And so that's something I've talked about with Alexis a lot. And I think one thing that she's told me is to kind of just sit and think about what it is that I really want to do. Not necessarily a place I want to work, or an actual title I want to have, but more so like, is it giving back? Is it investing in marginalized communities? What is the root of what I want to do and the thing that makes me happiest? And just finding the medium to do that.

And that's something that I've been thinking about a lot, especially since I'm going to be graduating soon. But also just knowing when are the times that I'm doing work, either for a class or for an internship-- like, when do I feel the most fulfilled? And what sort of things make me feel that way? And I'm just taking note of them and knowing, thinking of like how I can do that full time. And how I can find positions where I'm able to be fulfilled.

Because I think a lot of times, at least I have always thought of, "oh, I want to work in this industry and do this thing with this title." Not really thinking much about like, "oh, is that exactly what I will feel happiest doing? Or is that what fulfills me the most?" And I think, too, there's just like, I've had so many opportunities in this past year in journalism and in other activities of just things that I really, really enjoy. And so kind of deciding what it is that I want to lean more into. And I think, too, another thing that you talked about is just taking risks. And I think right now is the time for me to kind of put myself out there more. Especially since I am young and I don't really have a family to support. That's been something that has been definitely, I think about it often, just like sitting, thinking to myself. Like, "oh, what do I want to do? Is this activity, is this task making me feel fulfilled?"

I think that's something that has been really, really important for me. I think, too, something else that we've talked about that I think has been really helpful for me is well, Alexis has me, she made me get a journal, a brag journal. And that has been really helpful. So basically, brag journal, anytime I do something that I'm proud of or something, I'll get like a compliment from someone or something that just makes me feel good about myself. I write it in this journal. And I think that's really helpful for me. Especially it was really helpful for me last summer in my internship. That's something that I have just found to be really helpful and has helped me entering new spaces and starting new opportunities.

Because I can look back at this and see all the times I've done things that have made me proud of myself. And that's something, that I know that I'm capable of. And just having a document where I can look at these things. It's just really nice to have that.

CAT RECKELHOFF: A brag journal is such a great idea.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: That brag journal should be filled to the brim at this point because Janea has done so many amazing, wonderful things and we talked about it. I mean, it's so imperative to have mechanisms by which we can remind ourselves of our greatness. And I think that we, as women in this case but also people of color, for Janea and I, that's really something that we don't always have the means to remind ourselves.

And so I think it's really important for us to give that to ourselves, is to remember that we're doing great things. We don't always see it. We don't always feel it in the moment. But if one person says such nice things about us it's important to be able to go back and kind of remember, and reminisce, and pat ourselves on the back for having made an impact at some point in time in someone's life. I think we are all deserving of that. So brag journal it up.

JANEA WILSON: I think, too, there is this kind of idea that you shouldn't put yourself, I don't know, like having to prove that you're qualified for things, especially as a woman of color. I think that a lot of times there's an external pressure of making you feel like, oh, you're not good enough, not qualified enough. But you kind of have to build yourself up to know that you're, that you should be in the spaces that you are. Like these, you were meant to be where you are.

And I definitely think that having the brag journal has helped in that. It's also just helped me be more confident. And just helping me put myself out there more, which I was definitely really, really nervous. I still am nervous to do those things at times. But I definitely kind of like having like a track of all these things that I've done and just like taking them. You know, I feel like, too, I kind of beat myself up about things that I do. Because, I don't know. I think it's just hard for me to kind of be proud of myself and this has definitely helped me kind of navigate that-- and, of course, external validation is great and all-- but I think too, being able to be proud of myself and be confident in my own abilities. And I think this has definitely helped me a lot.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Alexis, what would you say to Northwestern Alumni who are thinking about getting involved in the ALL Program? What advice would you give to those who are thinking about it or who are just starting off in it?

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Yeah, it's a really good question. For mentors, or really for those who are thinking about being a mentor but not sure about exactly of what the value they can provide through Northwestern University students, I would just say to do it. Go for it. Sign up to mentor a student. The time commitment is really limited compared to the values that both you and the student can derive from that relationship.

And also, that you have so much value to offer from tips and tricks on how to accomplish a task or how to think through a certain career decision. You have perspective. And that's really what I think students and mentees want from us, is our perspective. And less about our prescriptive suggestions on what to do.

As a Medill-trained former journalist, I think kind of through the lens of the Five W's and the [INAUDIBLE]. Which is the students don't need the what, or the who, or the where, necessarily. But they can use guidance on the why, and sometimes the when, and perhaps the how. And that's the value perspective that you bring through these experiences and stories that you have to share.

And I think that's what empowers the next generation to keep moving towards their goals and plans for the future. So I would just say, just go for it. Mentorship is really fulfilling. It's very much a two-way street. But you will probably find that you get so much more out of the relationship from the mentorship perspective than you would ever get as a mentee.

CAT RECKELHOFF: So Janea, I also have a very similar question to you. Are thinking about mentorship, and they're trying to decide on a program, and they're looking at the ALL Program. What would be your advice for them to make the best of their experience as a mentee when they go into the program?

JANEA WILSON: Yeah, that's a really good question. I think one piece of advice I would give is to be intentional about meeting with your mentor. I say that. I don't know, I feel like there have been times where I've met with people or I've heard of times where people have had mentors and haven't really taken full advantage of it.

I think, kind of coming into a meeting with goals, and certain things you want to talk about, and things you want to get out of this mentorship. I think that's really important, instead of just blindly stringing someone along and not really taking as much from it as you can.

So I definitely recommend just being really intentional about what you want to get out of it. Whether that's wanting to know more about a certain career field or wanting to know more about something that your mentor has expertise in. I definitely recommend just taking the most out of it. I also would recommend for people to definitely be vulnerable. I think that is something that can be hard to do when you're definitely talking to someone new. But I think there have been times where I've been really open with Alexis about things that I'm scared about after graduating.

And some of my concerns, especially being a Black woman going into corporate, not really corporate world, but just like going into the work field. So that's something that I have been really vulnerable about. And I think that's how you get to, those really honest conversations. And how you're able to have those moments where you have those breakthroughs where you're like, OK, people have gone through this before. I will make it through.

And so I definitely recommend being honest and open. And kind of like, it can be hard to be more vulnerable and honest, especially in this professional-esque situation. But I definitely think that is how you get to answering a lot of those questions. Especially when you're talking about questions surrounding identity. Especially when it comes to how to make money. Because that's something that we've talked about. Because you graduate and no one really talks to you about how to manage your money. Or how to even, how to make money when you're trying to change your career. And that's something that was really helpful for me to talk about. And I think it's a great opportunity to talk to someone who's been there before. Like they've gone through Northwestern, graduated college, have been in kind of in that starving artist phase. So it's definitely really helpful to have those conversations.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Janea knows that I have been a starving, professional writer. And that's part of the journey that we have both laughed about. Maybe she's cried about but I have laughed about. So it's definitely a good thing to talk about.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Yeah, I think that's a really great point that you made about the importance of being vulnerable and being able to share those experiences with your mentor. Because it's very likely that they have, they've gone through it, too. And it's now a funny story, looking back on it in hindsight.

I hope that y'all continue to stay connected to each other after you graduate, Janea. Because I know that from what Alexis has said, it sounds like Sheryl is still a really important mentor and is a really important part of this network that is being built by you and by others.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: I mean, Janea may try but she can't really get rid of me. So there's that. I feel like I am going to extend this relationship whether she wants to or not.

JANEA WILSON: Well, I don't want to get rid of you. So I think we're good standing.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Well, thanks. I will say, I'll just use this time to say that I really enjoyed mentoring Janea. You know, I really do think she is the best. She's so bright, and hardworking, and thoughtful about her choices she's making for herself now that she's a senior. And I think I was really fortunate to have been matched with her. I see a lot of myself in her.

And we talk all the time about some opportunities that she is deciding between. And I would catch myself going huh. Kind of chuckling, if you will, because I really remember being in that same predicament, deciding between almost identical paths to take. So it's been really fun to just support her and see her growth and maturity throughout this particular mentorship experience.

JANEA WILSON: Well thank you, Alexis. I've also really, really enjoyed getting to know you. And I think you're a really great mentor. So, yeah, I really enjoyed it. I think, yeah, I don't know. I think we've had a lot of good times. It's been almost a year since we first met. So we've had a lot of really good times.

I can't think of anything specific. But I do agree that, I don't know, I also see a lot of similarities between us. And that is just something that I have really enjoyed. I just-- yeah.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Thank you so much, Alexis and Janea, for taking the time to share your thoughts, and stories, and insights with us today. I know our alumni listeners and current Northwestern students are going to really benefit from what y'all have had to say today. So thank you again.

JANEA WILSON: Thank you so much for having us.

ALEXIS JEFFRIES: Thank you so much for having us. This has been fun. Always, always great to talk to Northwestern-affiliated folks and students, and Janea in particular.

CAT RECKELHOFF: Thank you listeners for tuning into today's episode of Northwestern Intersections. For more information about our podcast, please visit northwestern.edu/intersections. In our next episode we'll hear from Michelle Lin and Rebecca Windsor, mentors in the Northwestern Network Mentorship Program, as they discuss universal best practices and insights specific to their respective fields. Don't miss it.

And until next time, stay safe and take care of yourself, your friends, and your community.

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