Mentorship at AIE
"The mentorship at AIE was enlightening. I got to see what the second years were working on and understand how they problem solved the very things I struggled with. I learned the importance of community, and being able to share your discoveries and grow as a team. It's something I've taken with me into the industry."
- Beverly Crock, 3D Animation & VFX for Film alumna
The Importance of Having a Mentor
Mentorship at AIE has yielded unlimited possibilities and opportunities for students.
A mentor is more than an instructor or role model. It is a professional working relationship that the mentor and pupil will cultivate for many years to come. The mentor isn’t always a manager or your boss. The mentor in your life could hold a position you aspire to achieve in your career one day. It can also be someone you respect in how they conduct their job and present themselves in the workplace. In many cases, the pupil sees the mentor in themselves, and the mentor also sees themselves in the pupil.
“The success that I've had at AIE is due largely to my own drive to succeed. Thankfully, the environment here is conducive to maintaining that drive. We constantly bounce ideas and challenges off each other, and most conversations we have rapidly boil down to excitement about art.”
- Corwin Waldron, Game Art & Animation alumnus
Your mentor can be the mirror of your future.
“Found great guidance from my first year TA Beverly. She was patient and knowledgeable, constantly pursuing deeper techniques through self-study. I'm always excited to share new skills.”
– Handa Yoh, 3D Animation & VFX for Film alumna
Renowned businessman Jim Rohn claims:
“You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.”, essentially saying that the people you associate with matter.
The mentor in your life has an important and honest purpose: to empower you with the knowledge they pass on to you. To inspire you to always strive to improve yourself. To challenge you in a way that encourages direction, and to take responsibility for your victories and failures. Most importantly, they are more willing to share their stories in the industry, and what they have learned from those experiences.