Three Questions for Jake Erickson, Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual and returning mentor for the 2018-19 Mentor Connection program year:
Why did you initially join Mentor Connection?
I joined mentor connection because of the impact my mentors had on me both personally and professionally. I wanted to “pay it forward” and be able to attempt to give a similar experience to the mentees of the program. On top of this, I understand that retaining young talent in the greater Duluth area is instrumental to the city’s growth and by showing soon-to-be young professionals that there are others like them thriving in Duluth, it may help in retaining that talent in the area.
What made you come back for another year with Mentor Connection?
This coming year will be my second year and I chose to come back because of the positive experience both myself and my mentee had last year. I directly saw the impact we, as professionals in the community, can have on our mentees. Not only did I see growth with my mentee, I found myself implementing some of the strategies for networking that we helped teach to the mentees.
What keeps you “North By Choice” here in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin?
In one word: opportunity. Opportunity to help the community and build a family in this beautiful area. The vast array of different types of people show that anybody can be successful here in their own realm. On top of this, I think we have a massive responsibility as a community to give back and what better way to give back than help others see how great Duluth is!
Thanks, Jake! Mentor Connection is still accepting mentor applications for 2018-19. Learn more about the upcoming program year here.