Key pointsMentors often transform as deeply as mentees—but rarely hear how much they mattered.
A mentee’s thank-you can affirm a mentor’s Legacy, purpose, and emotional impact.
Mentorship offers mentors intellectual Growth through shared curiosity and dialogue.
Mentors gain fulfillment by knowing their influence lives on in others’ work and lives.
Mentorship is most often focused on the mentee—how they grow, learn, and find their way. But we rarely focus on the mentor and how mentorship transforms the mentor just as powerfully. This may be because most mentors never get feedback about the impact they made on their mentee. The feedback is so powerful because it allows the mentor to know the impact they’ve made. Imagine knowing how much you mattered in another person’s life. That is power!
Recently, physicist and author Dr. Neil Comins received a letter from a former student, John, who had gone on to pursue the same field. The letter wasn’t long. It didn’t list accolades or milestones. But it carried something even more valuable—recognition of influence, and a heartfelt thank you.
Letter from a Mentee Source: Provided by Neil Comins“Neil, I recently read this book and it made me think about our discussions on senses, how you ask your students how many senses we have and such. This book is all about senses and perception. We all have our own ‘umwelt’. You were a key influence on me as a student, helping me to ‘see’ and understand the universe differently, and more importantly, you showed me the importance of sharing what I’ve learned, discovered, and created. Just a small thank you for being a valuable mentor. Given with Love and best wishes, John.”
It’s the kind of note that stays with you. This is the kind of note mentors crave and thrive on.
Who Is Neil Comins?
Dr. Neil F. Comins is a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Maine. He is best known for his “what-if” books like What If the Moon Didn’t Exist? And What If the Earth Had Two Moons? Beyond his writing, Comins has led educational innovations, including an NSF-funded initiative integrating astronomy into Minecraft to inspire middle schoolers in STEM, and he is a mentor with The Mentor Project.
But for all his academic and public contributions, it’s moments like this letter from John that reveal another side of his legacy—one built in classrooms, conversations, and quiet encouragement.
What Mentorship Gives the Mentor:
1. A Sense of Legacy
Mentorship is a form of generativity—a deep human need to leave something behind that matters. For Neil, John’s words are a living testament that his influence didn’t end when the course did. It was carried forward, reshaped, and passed on.
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2. Affirmation of Purpose
John’s gratitude confirmed something all mentors need to hear at times: You made a difference. That simple truth is fuel. It reminds mentors why they teach, guide, and invest in others, even when it feels thankless in the moment.
3. Intellectual Fulfillment
Mentors don’t just give knowledge—they refine it through conversation, curiosity, and challenge. John’s mention of their discussions on perception and senses reflects a shared intellectual journey. Mentorship isn’t static, it’s a two-way evolution.
4. Emotional Resonance
There’s a profound emotional reward when a mentee expresses love and appreciation. In a world often measured by metrics and milestones, this kind of human connection affirms what truly matters.
Mentoring Impact
Mentors rarely see the full extent of their impact. Students graduate. Employees move on. Life scatters people in all directions. But sometimes, the universe offers a glimpse, like John’s letter, to remind the mentor that their efforts took root.
Mentorship isn’t just about guiding others toward their future. It’s also about deepening the mentor’s sense of relevance, purpose, fulfillment, and contribution. Mentoring is not something we do for others, it’s also something we do for ourselves. Mentoring allows mentors to deepen their footprint and widen their experience with the world.
To those mentoring today: Keep showing up. Keep sharing your Wisdom. You may not hear from every mentee. But when you do, like Neil did, you’ll know—you changed a life.
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Originally Published on https://deborahheiserphd.substack.com/
