19 What’s the Right Way to Find a Mentor?
by Janet T. Phan
In the summer of 2004, I was 18 years old, preparing for my first year of college and looking for ways to fund my education. I was working double shifts at KFC and late nights at Hollywood Video, yet one day, I found myself at a gas station without enough money to fill up my tank.
I made a promise to myself to do whatever it would take never to be in this situation again: one where I was living from paycheck to paycheck, working multiple jobs, and couch surfing to save money on rent. Working harder—in my case, 12-hour days—wasn’t getting me anywhere, but I knew that working smarter could. As the child of refugee parents from Vietnam, I didn’t have anyone at home who understood how ...
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