Student Contact

Initial Assessment

When put in contact with the student, I would try to learn a little more about them and where their interest stems from. I’d like to ask the student questions about what they do, not just to find the right mentors to pursue, but also to get a sense of what kind of person this girl is. Is she shy? Is she imaginative? What kinds of environments would make her feel comfortable/uncomfortable? These questions would help me to pursue not only the right people, but also find ways to engage the student when they meet the people by choosing a good location for an initial meeting, and maybe expose them to a little more of what these people do.

Here is a list of some sample questions I might ask the student and how I could use the information to help me to focus their possibilities as to which Mentors would be best suited for them:

 

  • I hear you like playing video games, which ones are your favourite?
  • “Fantasy world-oriented games, games where I take on characters and different roles to make my way through an invented environment.”
    •
      • My assessment of this would be that they like to use their sense of fantasy to lose themselves in an invented environment.
        • This would lead me to pursue fantasy-based games and where they’re sold. (See Mentor option #1)
    1. “Combat-oriented games that are based on movies and popular comic characters.”
      2.
        • Having an interest in combat games or extreme circumstances in the plot of the games, may just mean that they like the concept of creating a world where they feel powerful. Maybe they like to create their own reality, which is fun and can be a helpful tool.
          • Hearing this response would lead me to pursue someone who has managed to create a playful, creative career for themselves in film, both capitalizing on today’s need for engaging short films online and enjoying the creative process of writing and directing his own, personal projects. (See Mentor option #2)
      1. “I like all video games, I just like to play a lot, it’s really fun.”
        2.
          • If the student is non-specific about the type of games, and ‘just likes to play,’ it may be a good opportunity to look at how to think outside of the box when looking at your interests.
            • There may be the opportunity to talk to a local entrepreneur that has created a bar/café that is based on the concept of using the arcade as a way to engage its clients in retro-style arcade games. (See Mentor option #3)
          • What’s your favourite Star Trek? (Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, etc.)
            • Since I share an interest in this particular subject, it’s fun to converse on the same level about what are the underlying themes, which characters speak to her, etc. Surprisingly, you can gauge a lot about a person based on their Star Trek preferences.
              • To further understand the student, it would be interesting to know what about Star Trek they like, if it’s the characters, the fact that you can get lost in another universe, maybe the imaginative element of space travel, these are all facts that can help to hone in on which of the mentors would be best suited for the student.
        1. What do you like to do when you go out? (If they go out, of course.)
          2.
              • Based on this, you can find out what kind of environments the student would be comfortable dealing with,
                • If something like a busy arcade/bar/café could be exciting, but also may be overstimulating.
                • The games store may be more interesting, since there is the opportunity to try out the games, explore a quieter environment but still be a little sociable.
                • Possibly just speaking one on one with the filmmaker would be more worthwhile, since this would be the most low-key environment and possibly more comfortable for the student so that they would be able to be themselves and come out with some really interesting questions.

             

            There are evidently a number of other questions that I would be asking, but this is just a sample of how I would use information on the student’s interests to understand what the student is like, how they may react to different environments, etc. After feeling like I have a better understanding of the student, I’d be more prepared to adapt to their interests and preferences to find a helpful mentor that would develop a constructive relationship, ideally leading to a mentorship.