Here were once grads and post-grads mentees assigned to us, mentors, under the MQ Alumni Mentoring Pilot Program. Bright, enthusiastic, and dilligence as mentees should be. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, they longed to become Real: From being ‘students’ to truly becoming ‘real’ professionals in the business world.
This reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (1881-1944). Here's the conversation between the Velveteen Rabbit and the wise Skin Horse in the nursery about being "Real":
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," the rabbit asked, "or bit by bit?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "... but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."
Indeed, dear mentees, things take time; we have just wrapped up our six-week mentoring program yesterday (16 October 2025). May the real-business experiences, insights, and skills we shared expand your vision and opened the avenues of knowledge and opportunities– these what make you REAL – because we really care about you! So, look forward and trust. We will be a fair wind behind you!
Thank you to all involved in the MQ Alumni Mentoring Pilot Program. The journey was wonderful and unforgettable. To my beloved mentees Chayanee Charoenhongthong Hassan Camara, and newly adopted mentee Lê Hưng Phạm. And many Congratulations to Hassan on your graduation this week!
This reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (1881-1944). Here's the conversation between the Velveteen Rabbit and the wise Skin Horse in the nursery about being "Real":
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," the rabbit asked, "or bit by bit?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "... but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."
Indeed, dear mentees, things take time; we have just wrapped up our six-week mentoring program yesterday (16 October 2025). May the real-business experiences, insights, and skills we shared expand your vision and opened the avenues of knowledge and opportunities– these what make you REAL – because we really care about you! So, look forward and trust. We will be a fair wind behind you!
Thank you to all involved in the MQ Alumni Mentoring Pilot Program. The journey was wonderful and unforgettable. To my beloved mentees Chayanee Charoenhongthong Hassan Camara, and newly adopted mentee Lê Hưng Phạm. And many Congratulations to Hassan on your graduation this week!
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Fourteena (L) and Chayanee (R) at the concluding on the Mentor Me program, 16 October 2025 at Macquarie University "This 6-week Mentor Me program has been an incredibly valuable experience.
While my studies at Macquarie have been essential for my academic skills, this mentorship provided a different, crucial kind of learning. It has fundamentally changed the way I think about my career and how to effectively navigate the process of finding a job.
Fourteena’s guidance taught me how to present my skills and experiences not just as a list of accomplishments, but as an impactful story that shows how I can help a company solve its challenges.
I am profoundly thankful to Fourteena for generously giving her time and sharing invaluable suggestions that provided the kind of real-world insights that cannot be learned in a classroom. I now feel more confident and prepared to take the next steps in my career."
(Chayanee Charoenhongthong, Master of Business Analytics Student at Macquarie University)
While my studies at Macquarie have been essential for my academic skills, this mentorship provided a different, crucial kind of learning. It has fundamentally changed the way I think about my career and how to effectively navigate the process of finding a job.
Fourteena’s guidance taught me how to present my skills and experiences not just as a list of accomplishments, but as an impactful story that shows how I can help a company solve its challenges.
I am profoundly thankful to Fourteena for generously giving her time and sharing invaluable suggestions that provided the kind of real-world insights that cannot be learned in a classroom. I now feel more confident and prepared to take the next steps in my career."
(Chayanee Charoenhongthong, Master of Business Analytics Student at Macquarie University)
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