Mentor: Kay Sicheneder
Asija Rice and I were among the attendees at the 2021 Municipal Forestry
Institute (MFI) in Bowling Green, Ohio. While we were not in the same breakout
groups, we did share this intense MFI educational experience where the value
of mentorship was a topic that came up frequently. I've had so many excel-
lent teachers and mentors in my career, so naturally I asked myself what I
could in turn offer a fellow forester. Admittedly, I am well into my career and
have had a variety of jobs and experiences to draw from. But I also volun-
teered to be a mentor because I knew I would gain as much as I could give.
I was excited to be paired with Asija because she was working on
a research project for her master's degree, just as I had; I knew it
would be stimulating to follow her journey toward her own grad-
uate degree. During our first meeting, I let Asija know I was seasoned,
and frankly tired, and needed some influence from a young person.
About once a month, we catch up and I get to hear about Asija's latest
accomplishments and challenges. We share how we are both working
on our goals. Just hearing Asija's thoughts on her career progres-
sion awakens my imagination and expands my thinking. That for me
is tremendous payback for my time in the mentorship program.
Mentee: Asija Rice
My name is Asija Rice, and I am a Forester for the Center
for Heirs' Property Preservation. I am originally from New
Orleans, Louisiana. I have a bachelor's degree in Urban
Forestry from Southern University and A&M College
located in Baton Rouge. I also have a Master of Science in
Forestry from North Carolina State with a minor in Human
Dimensions of Natural Resources. I am an active member
of the Society of American Foresters; the National Society
of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related
Sciences; and the Society of Municipal Arborists. I enjoy
community engagement and family events in my free time.
I signed up as a mentee because I was aware that I would
require mentoring during my transition from student
to employee. As a student, I believed that everyone
should have a mentor to assist them in making the tran-
sition from student to professional. I felt that attending
MFI and learning from colleagues who can discuss
real-life professional situations and teach me how to
solve them would be the ideal opportunity for me.
So far, things are going well; my relationship with
my mentor is adaptable, understanding, and wel-
coming. We can sit and listen to each other, offer
advice when necessary, and discuss solutions to
common problems in our work and personal lives.
20 CityTREES
