The Importance of Mentorship

Nick Creegan

Speaking to Darnell Mayberry, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer at the Oklahoman, gave me a  greater appreciation for our mentor, Justice B. Hill, a long-time sports journalist.

“Justice is one of the most influential guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to lean on,” Darnell said. “He is willing to go out of his way to make you better.”

Seeing Darnell’s success and hearing him speak highly of the guidance that Justice has given  him makes me appreciate and understand why Justice pushes me so hard.

It’s to reach the level of success he has helped Darnell reach, and then some.

I would have never thought that someone I’ve only met once in my life at a National Association of Black Journalists convention would be willing to invest a great amount of time and energy into the development of my career and character.

The only way Justice wants me to pay him back whenever I become successful down the road is to buy him a burger and most importantly guide as many younger people as I can to becoming successful.

Mentorship is not just beneficial for the mentee’s development, but also for the mentor.

You want to set a good example by the way you carry yourself, things you do and image you portray. I have experienced that with my younger brother. I try to set good examples for him from being professional, to staying humble yet always hungry to become better in anything you commit yourself to.

One of the most important and valuable “nuggets” of knowledge Justice has given to me that I have instilled in my younger brother is to ignore negative people. Not everyone will be happy for your success and some will expect you to fail. He left me with a lesson that will resonate in my head whenever I face adversity. 

In James Baldwin’s book "The Fire Next Time" he write a letter to his nephew, a young black youth who was coming of age. Here's what Baldwin, a realist, told him: "You are not expected to aspire to excellence; you're expected to make peace with mediocrity."

If excellence is really our goal, we should find someone of wisdom who has done what we are trying to do. When we make it to where we are trying to go, do the same for the person who are in the shoes you were once in years ago.