ADPR Alumna, Isabella Wah, Champions Women Supporting Women and Workplace Mentorship
Mentee turned mentor, Wah, knows from experience the benefits of having a mentor in one’s corner.
By: Milcah Solomon
It is the guidance, encouragement and techniques that a coach gives that provide you with a competitive edge. The same thing applies to your career, having a mentor provides the insight to be well-equipped for the workplace.
Isabella Wah graduated from Michigan State University in 2019 with a degree in advertising management and minor in public relations. She also was part of Women in Advertising and Communications (WAC), a program at MSU that connects female students with female industry mentors in its first year.
“College itself did a good job of teaching me how to be flexible, how to feel comfortable to speak up and ask questions, how to use my resources to find answers,” said Wah.
Wah says she believes that WAC is the reason she landed her first post-graduate role as a media coordinator at Dentsu. By tapping into the women who were ready and willing to give her that lift, she says she was able to kickstart her career. Now she works as a project manager for Beauty Co-Lab and serves as a WAC mentor.
“WAC specifically helped me have a strong network walking in,” said Wah. “So, when I was confused and did have questions there was a group of people, I could turn to that had very straightforward answers because they had already done it.”
Tapping into the women who were ready and willing to give her that lift, kick-started her career. When asked what the best advice a mentor ever gave to Wah, it wasn’t how to format a resume or the best question to ask in an interview: it was to be seen and encouraged by someone that left a lasting impact.
“Mentors what they end up really giving me that resonate the most are they validate where I’m at and remind me to continue to look at the big picture,” said Wah. “What ends up resonating long term is knowing that someone heard you and they relate to you.”
Students should think of a mentor as themselves in five or 10 years. They have already felt the emotions and dealt with the dilemmas and now they are your biggest cheerleader guiding you along. Now Wah is giving back by volunteering her time as a mentor to students in WAC.
“I remember how anxious graduating made me feel and how unsure I was,’ said Wah. “So, I always felt that if I had the opportunity to help ease someone else’s anxiety, I would like to do that.”
To join Women in Advertising and Communication’s (WAC) mentorship program visit https://msu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/comartscimsueduwomen-advertising-commun.