Gas South Mentorship Program Running Strong in Second Year

At Gas South, striving to Be A Fuel For Good means more than offering great rates, top-rated service and a commitment to the communities we serve. It also means we’re dedicated to the wellbeing and growth of our employees. We express our appreciation and support for them in a number of ways, but one we wanted to talk about this week is our TrailBlaze Mentorship Program. 

In November, we wrapped up the second year of this six-month program with a graduation ceremony for 54 employees—more than double last year’s program. Throughout the 2023 TrailBlaze Mentorship Program, participants attended workshops and took part in personalized coursework based on their specific interests, all with the hope that mentees and mentors would build connections, gain new perspectives and grow personally and professionally. 

“This year’s program was phenomenal,” said Gas South’s Courtney S., who serves as coordinator for the program. “We focused on participants’ professional development and hosted workshops on topics like understanding personality types, imposter syndrome and self-advocacy. I’ve seen exponential growth in our mentees and mentors throughout the year—a few have even been promoted since taking part. I’m excited to see what the future holds for our outstanding participants as we continue to expand the program and take it to new horizons.” 

”One of those participants, mentee Cynthia O., said, “My mentor has made such a positive impact on me. I’ve enjoyed discussing current events and topics with her. And I've been able to apply the methodologies and frameworks she uses in business in my personal and professional life. Some of that included framing important conversations, planning presentations and using my new favorite tool, Trello!” 

Mentor Catherine B. said, “Being part of TrailBlaze as a mentor has been one of the best experiences I’ve had at Gas South. My mentee and I hit it off, and it was wonderful to learn about her life, career goals and what drives and motivates her. I was excited to become a cheerleader for her.” 

“The more time we put in together, the more we both got out of the process,” Catherine said. “Listening, empathizing, being supportive and also having hard and honest conversations for areas to grow really helped shape me and the way that I perceive others.” 

“I think the one biggest misconception I had at first about being a mentor was only thinking it would be a growth opportunity for my mentee,” Catherine said. “I wasn’t considering the growth and opportunities that it brought me. I gained confidence, leadership skills, built up my internal network and grew in so many ways. I’m so grateful to have experienced this process, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”