Three Lessons From My First Mentor

“If someone has taken the time to teach you, take the time to teach someone else.”

When I first became a park ranger, I didn’t have the background most people expected. I came from banking. My world was numbers, spreadsheets, and interest rate risks. There was one park manager took a chance on me. His name was Jack, and he became my first mentor.

Jack didn’t just teach me about trails, birds, or park procedures. He taught me how to think about myself as a leader, even when I was the newest, least experienced person on the team. He expected me to be great. That expectation changed my outlook on everything. For example, sweeping cobwebs or picking up trash wasn’t just a chore. It was part of something bigger.

Jack also taught me to find out where the edges are. Don’t just do things because “that’s how it’s always been done.” Push, ask questions, and test what’s possible. You might find you’ve got more room than you think.

Another great lesson from Jack was to apply pressure to rules that don’t make sense. He’d tell me, “If you don’t understand why we’re doing something, keep asking until you do.” Sometimes we found a good reason. Other times, we found out no reason existed, and we stopped wasting time.

I didn’t realize it then, but those three lessons shaped how I approach work and life. Expect greatness from yourself. Explore the edges. Challenge what doesn’t make sense. These simple shifts can have a big change to how you show up every day.