Ideas in Antiquity--Leadership in the Ancient World: From Telemachus to T'Challa

Week Thirteen: Mentorship in the Modern World

This week we will revisit the themes of mentorship that we discussed at the beginning of the course with the Odyssey. 

Session One

Assignment: Watch Disney's Moana on NetFlix (or the like). Answer the following questions.
1. Identify the features of the mentorship relationship that Telemachus has with Athena-Mentes/Athena-Mentor in the Odyssey. How do the mentoring relationships Moana has with her father (Chief Tui) and her Grandmother (Gramma Tala) compare and contrast?
2. How does Moana's gender factor into her development as a leader? Put another way, what is gendered about her development?
3. If you were to create a multi-year leadership training program for young women based on what Moana experiences in her adventure, what would it look like?

Session Two

Assignment: Identify a problem that you would like to be recognized for leadership in solving in your adult years. What is your plan for becoming a recognized leader in addressing this problem (“recognized” means that others will think of and refer to you as a leader in this area)? This plan could include additional courses, degrees, and training in the field you are interested in. It could also include other career experience, internships, or volunteer work. It could include study of (or with) particular leaders who have gone before you. Finally, it might include other ways of acquiring the skills and behaviors you think you will need to become a better leader by studying additional works in the humanities (e.g., art, literature, philosophy, history). Be as detailed as possible in your answer. [This response relies on your ability to formulate a feasible plan and to know yourself well enough to know whether you can carry it out or whether you need to reconsider it. This also relies on your ability to understand the inner-workings of the communities, institutions, and systems you will need to work with and navigate in order to realize your vision.] (700 words)