12 Joy-Filled Mentor Moments I Hope We See in 2025

As National Mentoring Month draws to a close, I am awed by some mentor moments we have already seen. From female firefighters to first-time philanthropists, we have watched and cheered as heroes imparted wisdom and the next gen took the lead.

Before we flip our calendars to February, then, here is a quick list of mentor moments we've witnessed this month and eleven more I hope to see as 2025 unfolds.

Sometimes it's hard to find the joy. Let's pencil it into our calendars...month by month.

In January...

We saw movie mentors tag each other at the Golden Globes and women in Los Angeles rise from literal ashes to rebuild side by side. When Oscar nominations were announced we saw the fifth and sixth pair of mother-daughter nominees, and at the X Games snowboarder Chloe Kim (a medal winner every year since her debut at age 14) made her mentor proud by surpassing Kelly Clark's gold medal count with eight gold medals.

In February...

I hope mentor moments in the workplace become more visible and valued, through formal and informal programs. Well-aligned with this year's theme for Black History Month, African Americans and Labor, I hope we see more mentorship, sponsorship and championing of today's talent to ensure a richer and more diverse workplace tomorrow.

In March...

I can't wait for joy-infused celebrations of Women's History Month and International Women's Day (IWD) across this nation and the globe. Add Equal Pay Day into the mix and it's a month ready-made for mentorship. With the 2025 IWD theme Accelerate Action already announced and big plans in store at Être, we're bursting at the seams to say more.

In April...

April showers will bring the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, along with the announced theme Our Power, Our Planet. From our mentors at The Jane Goodall Institute to more at Earth Day Network and Oceanic Global, there couldn't be a more important time to keep connecting them to youth-founded orgs like Climate Cardinals (founded by Sophia Kianni) and rising TED-Ed speakers like 10-year old Aiva Furfaro.

In May...

Not only will Être turn nine, but National Space Day will take place in May - affording mentors at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the International Space Station National Laboratory the chance to inspire new astronauts everywhere. May also celebrates AAPI month, with organizations like AAPI Youth Rising offer role models and resources that matter.

In June...

May we see more and more communities unite for Pride Month and Juneteenth with joy, activating mentorship opportunities for change makers at the earliest ages. May we cheer our lungs out at the Tony Awards if - like last year - winners like Shaina Taub look straight into the camera and encourage..."especially the loud little girls [to] go for it. You can do it," she told girls everywhere in a mini-mentor moment. "You are powerful, you are valuable, you are strong."

In July...

In addition to celebrating independence, I hope we hear more wisdom from Être mentors like paralympians Emma Schieck (PLY) and Lizzi Smith during Disability Pride Month. The end of July will also bring National Intern Day and the chance for mentors to publicly cheer for every intern at their side and behind the scenes.

In August...

I hope Book Lover's Day brings authors with acclaim face to face with rising writers, and sparks ideas for those determined to tell their stories. Three days later on International Youth Day, I hope that mentors boast widely about their mentees' accomplishments, ensuring that student-founded projects gain hearty recognition.

In September...

As kids head back to school I hope that teachers - often our first mentors - find new ways to spark curiosity and spur ambition. And, as I do every year, I hope that International Peace Day brings a crushing end to violence, intolerance, and the efforts of those seeking to leave the most vulnerable among us adrift.

In October...

I dream that the morning of International Day of the Girl dawns with inclusive promise and joy as girls everywhere recognize their worth. And after hosting our first live TED-Ed event last October, I cannot wait to see a new cohort of Être girls take the same NYC stage this year and share big ideas with the TED-Ed community.

In November...

May the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving leave us full of gratitude as we honor engineers and entrepreneurs on National STEM Day and Entrepreneurs Day. Remembering the insider info shared in The Epic Mentor Guide by astronauts like Anna Fisher and Cady Coleman , engineers like Sydney Hamilton or founders like Kara Goldin, I hope we see more mentor moments to fuel innovative futures.

In December...

And as 2025 winds down I hope we celebrate Giving Tuesday with abandon, unwrapping a season of joy that highlights and amplifies the work of today's youth. Never underestimating the impact early philanthropy or volunteering can bring, I hope the holidays in 2025 bring us closer to each other and a community of caring.

Because joyous moments await.

Sometimes they may be hard to see - particularly in the wake of natural disasters and global unrest. But it is now, in the early pages of our blank calendars, that we can redouble our efforts to find the joy.

And then...share that joy with others.

Looking forward with hope,

Illana

ÊXTRAS: Three new sources of joy in 2025: Reese Witherspoon's brand new LinkedIn page (follow her for all the latest Hello Sunshine news), new Australian Open champion Madison Keys' Kindness Wins Foundation, and a science-backed prescription for deeper and more robust connections.