When we think of mentors, we often picture someone who is a bit older and more experienced, who is able to give career and life advice from a distanced perspective
However, there is an argument to be made for seeking out a mentor who is closer in age—they too have a lot to offer. Below, novelist Vanessa Hua shares her own experience with a peer mentor and gives some tips on building and maintaining a relationship of equals. I first heard about Angie Chuang when we were attending rival high schools in the suburbs east of San Francisco. Two years older than I am, she was also the daughter of Chinese immigrants. In college, she would carve out a journalism career that I would follow: columnist and features editor at the same school newspaper and later, a reporting fellowship at the Los Angeles Times. Want more M.M.? Sign up for our newsletter....