Orange County Branch Newsletter

July 2017

ASCE OC YMF - Mentorship Program

Mid-Year Check-In Event


By: Paul Gabot

The Mentorship Program held its Mid-Year Check-in event on April 26, 2017, at SPEC Services in Fountain Valley, CA. Mentors and Protégés engaged in small roundtable discussions followed by a panel discussion. Some of the group topics discussed were: “How does the public sector view the private sector and vice versa?” and “How do you handle yourself in a professional setting when is alcohol involved?” Mentors and Protégés were able to share their experiences and stories with one another in an interactive, open setting. Following the roundtable discussion, a panel of two Protégés, Risa Abelgas and Paul Gabot, and two Mentors, Cassie Moeller and Clint Isa, answered questions about how the program has affected them positively and how they overcame challenges in their respective careers.

“Set yourself up for what you can do, then do your best; in the end, that’s all you can ask for. Your job title doesn’t limit you to what you can do.” – Cassie Moeller

“You have to be perfectly okay with people being unhappy with you; that goes for work and personal life. Bring caring and empathy to the engineering table.” – Clint Isa

There are several OC Branch and YMF events coming up that the pairs are encouraged to attend and it is recommended that pairs attend another Mentorship Program event before the End-of-the-Year banquet in August to conclude this year’s program. If you would like to be a Mentor or Protégé for the 2017-2018 year, the applications will be opening up in July!