National Mentorship Month

National Mentoring Month, a time to recognize the powerful role mentorship plays in career growth, leadership development, and strengthening our profession.

Mentorship creates meaningful connections that support both personal and professional growth. Through mentoring relationships, emerging professionals gain guidance, confidence, and insight into navigating the industry, while mentors develop leadership skills, broaden perspectives, and help shape the next generation of transportation leaders.

Highlighting National Mentoring Month underscores the importance of:

·     Knowledge sharing and skill development across all career levels

·     Career navigation and retention of women in engineering and transportation fields

·     Leadership growth, advocacy, and sponsorship

·     Building strong, supportive professional networks that foster inclusion and belonging

Mentoring is not one-size-fits-all. It can be formal or informal, peer-to-peer or cross-disciplinary, short-term or long-term. What matters most is the commitment to learning, listening, and lifting one another up.

National Mentoring Month offers an opportunity to reflect on how we can all seek mentorship and serve as mentors. By investing time and intention into mentoring relationships, we strengthen our organization, our profession, and the future of transportation.

This January, we encourage our members to engage in mentoring; whether by reaching out to a colleague, supporting an emerging professional, or sharing your experiences and lessons learned. Together, we can build a more connected, inclusive, and resilient industry.

As we gear up for 2026, WTS Sacramento is planning to launch our Mentorship Program in February where we pair transportation industry seniors with young professionals for one-on-one mentoring. Look for more information to come and consider getting involved to share knowledge, foster new relationships, and expand your influence and network.

Mentorship matters. Let’s make it a priority; this month and beyond!