Post-COVID, mentoring young adults can make all the difference

Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of our six teenage and young-adult daughters.Like millions of other parents, we watched in sadness as they navigated the isolating effects of social distancing, the disappointment of canceled events and the loss of valuable internships and professional experiences.Our daughters and their peers didn’t merely miss opportunities: They missed a chance to build the extra-meaningful connections and relationships young people rely on to discover who they are, determine where they’re going and build lasting, trusting ties with their community.These scars are not merely personal but societal.Over the last decades, American’s trust in key institutions has eroded.The promise of opportunity — the American Dream — seems further out of reach. Reviving meaningful connections and rebuilding trust isn’t just nice to do but essential for a brighter future. What helps? Transformative mentoring.Powerful things happen when trustworthy, seasoned professionals invest in young talent.These relationships foster rich conversations, full of insight and wisdom, and shape aspiring individuals in profound ways.We experienced the power of such mentors when we were young.For David, it was a high-school coach who saw promise in a mediocre football player, made him team captain and ultimately paved the path for an appointment to West Point.For Dina, it was a Texas senator who took a chance on a 20-year-old University of Texas student and part-time waitress, offering her an internship in Washington that a decade later led to senior White House roles.Note the word “transformative.” That’s deliberate.Traditional mentoring is usually transactional: An employee seeks advice from a supervisor to secure a promotion, strengthen a résumé or expand a network.While valuable, this approach focuses solely on immediate, professional goals.We are aiming for something bigger, something deeper.

Transformative mentoring focuses on the who...