Michael Karcher, Jean Rhodes, and Mackenzie Hart standing together outdoors in front of a mural.

From the Vatican to Ottawa, a fall of belonging and mentoring

/in /by

By Jean Rhodes

I wanted to share some highlights from a very busy fall. It started an invitation to the Vatican for a meeting on belonging. From there, I headed to Albuquerque and then Ottawa for mentoring conferences, with plenty of opportunities along the way to reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues.

The Vatican gathering, Belonging and Social Relations in the Age of Fragility, was co-hosted by California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, under the patronage of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. It was an incredible meeting, bringing people from different disciplines and parts of the world together to think about social connection and belonging.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, left, and Jean Rhodes at the Vatican summit on belonging.
With California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at the Vatican summit on belonging.

Next came a plenary at the University of New Mexico’s Mentoring Institute. My presentation on human-at-the-helm mentoring focused on using AI to support mentors and reduce their administrative burden. This is where I think these tools belong, helping mentors devote more time and attention to the people they support.

The visit also gave me a chance to have lunch with my friends and colleagues Michael Karcher and Mackenzie Hart. It was nice to reconnect and spend some time together.

Michael Karcher, Jean Rhodes, and Mackenzie Hart standing together outdoors in front of a mural.
From left, Michael Karcher, Professor of Educational Psychology at UTSA, Jean Rhodes, and Mackenzie Hart, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at UTSA, during the New Mexico Mentoring Institute conference.

I also caught up with Nora Dominguez, Director of the UNM Mentoring Institute, and Lisa Fain, President of the International Mentoring Association from 2024 to 2026. These meetings are a welcome opportunity to spend time with the people doing so much to advance mentoring.

Jean Rhodes, Lisa Fain, and Nora Dominguez standing together at the New Mexico Mentoring Institute conference.
From left, Jean Rhodes, Lisa Fain, former President of the International Mentoring Association, and Nora Dominguez, Director of the UNM Mentoring Institute, at the New Mexico Mentoring Institute conference.

Then it was on to Ottawa for a plenary at the 2nd annual Canadian Mentoring Summit. This meeting was pure joy. The format and mix of research and practice speakers made it an inspirational event, and it was wonderful to spend time with so many colleagues.

Bernadette Sánchez, Renée Spencer, Véronique Church-Duplessis, Jean Rhodes, and Tatiana Ciff at the Canadian Mentoring Summit.
At the Canadian Mentoring Summit. From left, Professor Bernadette Sánchez, University of Illinois Chicago, Professor Renée Spencer, Boston University, Dr. Véronique Church-Duplessis, Senior Director, Research and Impact at Mentor Canada, Jean Rhodes, UMass Boston, and Dr. Tatiana Ciff, senior lecturer and researcher in behavioural and social sciences at NHL Stenden.
Jean Rhodes with Tracy Luca-Huger and Renée Spencer during the Canadian Mentoring Summit.
With Tracy Luca-Huger, MA, Executive Director of Mentor Canada, and Professor Renée Spencer of Boston University, during the Canadian Mentoring Summit.

And, as an added bonus, MentorPRO had a booth and got to share a sponsor board with TD Bank and Starbucks!

Jean Rhodes pointing to the MentorPRO logo on the Canadian Mentoring Summit sponsor board, which also displays the Starbucks logo.
MentorPRO in good company on the Canadian Mentoring Summit sponsor board.

But, the real highlight was a magical trip to LA to hold my first grandchild. Pure magic.

Jean Rhodes holding her sleeping grandson during her visit to Los Angeles.
With my first grandson in Los Angeles.