Beyond Careers: Well-Being Mentorship and Personal Growth
Mentorship: creating space for individual growth while nurturing support and connection.
Reflections from the Well-Being Mentorship
In January 2026, I started a six-month well-being mentorship program with four remarkable young women. Together, we explored what it means to grow, personally and professionally, while caring for the whole self along the way.
The idea behind this mentorship was simple: well-being is multi-dimensional. Our personal and professional lives are not separate, and neither are the different parts of ourselves. Young people stepping into the world deserve spaces where they can talk about more than careers, resumes, conferences, manuscripts, and professional milestones. Spaces where they can explore health and well-being, purpose, relationships, uncertainty, and the wonderful selves they are becoming.
And so, we started.
A Small Circle, Many Dimensions
The mentorship program brought together four wonderful humans: Angela Wang, Mahsa Karamzadeh , Öykü Nur Kesek, and Miriam San Lucas. Once a month, we gathered virtually. We explored different dimensions of well-being, reflected on our experiences, shared practical tools and sustainable habits, set personal goals, and checked in on one another's progress.
Along the way, we were joined by wonderful guest speakers who generously shared not only their career journeys and accomplishments, but also their personal stories, decisions, uncertainties, tradeoffs, and life lessons. Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Sheila A. Mathias, Dr. Jeffrey Proulx, Dr. Maria de Oca, Jeff Gaus, and Dr. Seda Unal for showing up with openness, authenticity, and generosity. Each brought a unique perspective and reminded us, in different ways, that careers are rarely linear, intention and purpose evolve, and there is no single formula for a meaningful and fulfilling life. And thanks to Srikanth Mahankali and Anat Eldar, who generously offered to join our sessions but couldn't make it due to unexpected circumstances.
Among the many guest insights that stayed with us:
Do your best with the opportunities in front of you, even when you are unsure of yourself.
Ask yourself why you are pursuing something, not just what you hope to achieve.
Before automatically saying “No” to an unexpected opportunity, pause and consider where saying “Yes” might lead.
Listen, observe, care, and ask how you can help.
Be open to changing direction(s) and letting go.
The doubt may always be there, but it doesn't have to stop you.
And when you find your way forward, remember to send the elevator down.
At the end of the program, I invited mentees to reflect on what they had experienced, learned, and perhaps started doing differently. Three of them shared their reflections, and I'd love to give them some space here, in their own words.
Remembering the Whole Self Beyond Work
Angela Wang; Neuroscience PhD Candidate at John Hopkins University
What the program meant to you overall: The program taught me to view my wellbeing as the highest priority instead of my work. I have always been trained to work hard to achieve great results, but all of that is dependent on a healthy body and mind.
A memorable moment from a guest speaker: Jeff mentioned that he started to ask the “why” of things rather than chasing a position with the highest pay or respect. That is very powerful to me when I start thinking about my future career options.
Something the well-being sessions gave you, and how it changed your approach in your own career, health and wellbeing: The sessions gave me a sense of community and support to know that I am not alone in the journey. It is ok to not know exactly what I want to do for my career, and people have taken detours to discover what they truly love to do.
Connection, Accountability and Growing Together
Mahsa Karamzadeh; Bioengineering PhD Candidate at Northeastern University
What the program meant for you overall: We started as complete strangers, but with each session, we slowly became more comfortable with each other. Each month, I learned to set a goal, talk it through with the group, and stay focused on it. Seeing everyone’s updates in the group chat also motivated me to keep working toward my own goals. Overall, the program gave me a sense of connection, accountability, and support that I really appreciated.
Something the well-being sessions gave you, and how it changed your approach in your own career, health and wellbeing: The well-being sessions reminded me to pay more attention to both my physical and mental health. I try to prioritize things like exercising, getting enough sleep, and eating well. They also helped me learn to trust myself more; when I know I’ve done my best, I try to believe in myself and give myself the time and space to grow.
From Balance to Integration, a Different Way of Seeing Well-Being
Öykü Nur Kesek; High School Student Exploring Neuroscience and Neurotechnology
What the program meant to you overall: The program fundamentally changed the way I think about well-being. I initially joined because I wanted to learn how to balance school, work, and my personal life, but I gradually realized that well-being is less about balance and more about integration. Throughout the program, exploring different dimensions of my life made me more intentional about my priorities, routines, relationships, and, most importantly, taught me the importance of being present.
As a bonus, having incredible mentors who are highly accomplished in their fields and being able to listen to them, talk with them, and receive their encouragement meant so much to me.
A memorable moment from a guest speaker: Jeff’s question, “What’s your why?”, made me think about what I want to build and why I want to build things. I realized that the question “why?” goes much deeper than my work or future. It is also connected to my well-being, to who I am, what matters to me, and the unique sides of myself that I was able to discover throughout the program.
Something the well-being sessions gave you, and how it changed your approach in your own career, health and wellbeing: I developed many new habits through the monthly goals. There are still things I’m working on, but the biggest takeaway has definitely been the awareness the program has given me. I now approach my life with more self-care and prioritize my own well-being before work, because I’ve learned that it is my fuel.
Things I once saw as selfishness or laziness like taking a break, slowing down, spending time in nature, or simply being present, have actually helped me become more productive. The biggest change has been learning how to integrate these different dimensions of my life rather than treating them as competing priorities.
What the Well-Being Mentorship Experience Meant for Me (Zelda)
Mentorship is often described as one person sharing experience and guidance with another, but meaningful mentorship goes both ways. I started this program hoping to create a space where young people could explore their own well-being alongside their personal and professional aspirations, ask questions, experiment with different practices, hear different perspectives, and discover what resonates with them rather than follow someone else's formula.
What I appreciated most was watching four individuals, each navigating different life circumstances and aspirations, gradually forming a circle of support. Their thoughtful questions, monthly goals, weekly or biweekly progress updates, curiosity, and willingness to explore unfamiliar ideas made this experience meaningful for me. Beyond what we discussed, it was absolutely wonderful to see how the mentees began translating those conversations into their own lives, one choice, one practice, one month at a time, each in ways that made sense to them.
We were also joined by generous guests at different stages of their personal and professional journeys, with conversations that began with careers often taking us somewhere more personal.
Altogether, it was a genuine reminder of how much can happen when people come together with curiosity, openness, compassion, and care. A single conversation, or a question we had never considered, a new habit, or a connection with someone we might otherwise never have met can create ripples that continue long afterward.
The end-of-program feedback brought wonderful insights and lessons, too: more time for well-being discussions, focused guest sessions, earlier introductions to speakers, and opportunities to hear from professionals at different career stages. All valuable and worth carrying forward.
🌊 Closing Reflections and Invitation
In short, I am grateful to our four mentees for their commitment, presence, openness, curiosity, and for making this circle what it became. And to our guest speakers, thank you again for saying “Yes”, for sharing the human stories behind your professional journeys, and for reminding us that expertise and accomplishments become even more meaningful when shared.
We are all unique, finding our own ways, exploring who we are, and hopefully becoming a little better than who we were yesterday. And we do not have to figure everything out alone or right away. May we keep learning, caring for the whole of who we are, and growing in ways meaningful to us. And may we keep sending the elevator down.
As always, we invite you to pause, reflect, notice what resonates within you as you read, and perhaps share if you'd like.
Who has helped you see yourself or your path differently, perhaps through a life chapter or a single conversation?
Are you giving your own well-being the same attention you give your professional goals?
And who might benefit from your time, experience, encouragement, or simply your willingness to listen?
Perhaps choose one small action today, for yourself or someone else. A conversation, a check-in, a new practice, or a moment to reconnect with what truly matters to you.
🌿 What Comes Next
This blog has been quiet for a while, but the ideas and reflections haven't been. Some have been taking shape; others are simply waiting to be shared. For months.
And I'm learning that not every thought needs to become a long article with perfect content, style, or form. What is perfect, anyway, right? Sometimes a short story, a reflection, a single question, or a moment worth sharing is enough, or so my intuition tells me. And I happen to have many of them, for better or worse...
As new ideas, questions, and connections continue to unfold, I look forward to sharing more of these moments and continuing to explore different dimensions of well-being.
Until next time...
– With care 🌊
Written by Zelda – Dr. Selda Yildiz, in reflective dialogue with her AI muse, Amea.
Guest insights appear with permission and attribution.
© 2025 Selda Yildiz | Yildiz Oceanic Well-Being | All rights reserved.
No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written consent from the author; copying or reposting content without permission is not permitted. Link sharing through social/online-media platforms is welcome when the original source is credited – may this reflection ripple forward with care and integrity.
✨ Disclaimer: This post is for general educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor a substitute for professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have concerns about your health, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.
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