Halftime, Highlights, Warmth 

VBKI Mentoring Program Celebrates the Midpoint

Halfway through! Last week was the big moment: The participants in this year’s VBKI Mentoring Program celebrated the halfway point together and kicked off the second half with renewed enthusiasm.

Amid lively conversations and small group activities for the tandems, mentors and mentees used the evening to reflect together on the first half of the program. Which experiences had the greatest impact? What did the other tandems experience, and what lessons can we take away from that? In a trusting atmosphere, it became clear what makes the mentoring program special: It’s not a one-way street. It thrives on mutual trust, an open approach to both professional and personal issues, and a willingness to truly share experiences.

Everyone involved agreed: whether mentor or mentee, each person has gained valuable insights from the discussions so far. The desire for an active mentoring community that extends beyond the program has grown, and we will make room for that in the second half.

A heartfelt thank you to all the mentees and mentors for their openness, dedication, and enthusiasm for sharing ideas.

The program's success is owed above all to the dedicated members of the committee Expedition Zukunft, who not only initiated the program on a volunteer basis but also play a leading role in overseeing it—most notably Britta Posner, as well as Juliane Cibis, Peter Karg, and Richard Schütz.