The reality is everyone needs a mentor. The benefits of having one are clear: They give advice on navigating workplace dynamics, help you develop concrete skills, and provide a road map on how to carve out a career path. They are not your manager; they’re someone invested in your future, not your company’s. Given all that WOC experience in the workplace — systemic racism that suppresses wages and keeps them from being promoted, everyday microaggressions and then being gaslit that none of that is actually happening — we probably need mentors even more. In media, there’s also the dual burden of not only representing a community in your role, but also having a hand in shaping the broader culture. If I’m not reflecting what Canada actually looks like through my storytelling, I feel like I’m letting down the communities I entered this field to try and serve.