I take mentoring very seriously and I am on the board of an

Tayari Jones once proclaimed with solemn conviction: "I take mentoring very seriously and I am on the board of an organization called Girls Write Now, where we match teen girls and writing mentors because it changes their lives." Within this declaration lies the eternal truth that the passing down of knowledge is one of the noblest duties of humankind. To mentor is to do more than to instruct—it is to light a torch in the darkness, to guide another soul across uncertain ground, to whisper into the ear of the young: you matter, your words matter, your story matters.

The origin of her words springs from Jones’s own life as a writer, a weaver of narratives whose novel An American Marriage brought her widespread acclaim. She herself had once been guided, nurtured, encouraged by elders who saw in her a spark worth tending. Having walked the difficult path of a writer, she turned to mentorship, joining the board of Girls Write Now, an organization dedicated to pairing teenage girls with seasoned writers. For Jones, the act of giving back was not optional but essential, for in it she saw the power to transform not only individual lives, but generations.

This truth resounds throughout history. Consider the relationship of Socrates and Plato, and later Plato and Aristotle. Wisdom did not end with one thinker but flowed like a river into the minds of disciples, shaping the philosophies of civilizations to come. Or recall the bond between Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey, where guidance became a ladder, lifting one from hardship into a place where her voice could reach millions. In each case, mentorship was the bridge between potential and fulfillment, between the silence of untold stories and the song of voices unleashed.

Jones emphasizes that this sacred pairing of mentor and mentee “changes their lives.” Indeed, to give a young girl the tools to write is to give her both sword and shield: a sword to cut through ignorance and erasure, and a shield to defend her truth in a world too ready to dismiss her voice. The written word becomes not only art, but power—the power to define oneself, to resist being silenced, to craft one’s own destiny. A mentor, therefore, is not merely a teacher, but a midwife of identity, ushering forth what already lies within.

Her words carry also the reminder that the young, especially teen girls, often face a world eager to overlook or diminish them. Society may tell them their stories are trivial, their struggles unimportant, their voices unworthy of record. Yet, when placed in the hands of a mentor who believes in them, they learn that their experiences are not only valuable but necessary. Each journal entry, each draft, each trembling attempt at prose becomes an act of defiance and an offering of truth. In this way, mentorship is not only guidance—it is empowerment.

For us, the lesson is this: do not hoard the wisdom you have gathered. Whatever your craft, your discipline, your hard-won knowledge—share it. Seek out those who come after you and give them your hand. Do not wait until you feel accomplished or perfect, for perfection is not required to guide another. What is required is presence, patience, and faith. Remember that even the smallest encouragement may be the turning point in another’s life.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, heed the words of Tayari Jones. If you have walked any distance along the path of knowledge, look behind you and find those still struggling on the climb. If you are young, seek the wisdom of those who came before, and do not fear to ask for guidance. For in the exchange between generations lies the secret of survival, the binding of community, the continuity of culture. To mentor is to plant seeds you may never see bloom, but whose blossoms will shelter countless souls in years to come. This is how we ensure that wisdom does not die, but flows endlessly like a river into the ocean of the future.