Mentoring Spotlight: Kendra Werst
Kendra Werst is the Assistant Visual Resources Curator at Williams College, and has been a VRA member for 4 years.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background, and how you got into the field of visual resources?
I have a BFA in Sculpture and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI). While at KCAI, I worked at the Jannes Library which inspired me to combine my love for information and art. I successfully completed my Masters in Library Science at Indiana University - Bloomington in 2017, specializing in Digital Collections and Art Librarianship. I had wonderful mentors (Jasmine Burns and Kristina Keogh) who helped guide me to the visual resources field.
Which VRA mentoring activities did you participate in recently?
Conference Mentor, and Year-Round Mentor.
What services did you provide during your mentoring activities?
Networking, and professional guidance. I correspond with my mentees either by email, phone, or Slack. I ask them questions related to their professional goals or concerns as well as how they are doing as a human on this earth.
Briefly tell us about who you were matched with.
Year-Round Mentees: Katherina Fostano - Digital & Visual Resources Curator at Fordham University. Squirrel Walsh - Special Collections Assistant, Princeton University. Kendra Long - Archivist at 4S BAY. Conference Mentees: (2019) Katelyn Harper - MLIS Candidate at University of Washington Information School. (2018) Arden Kirkland - Adjunct, School of Information Studies at Syracuse University; Project Coordinator, Design for Learning Program; Independent Digital Librarian.
What was your motivation for participating in the mentoring activities?
Through my lived experience as an adoptee and person of color, I know what it's like to be on the outside. I also understand the importance of finding supportive, engaging, and safe communities. During graduate school, I was lucky enough to have positive mentors to help me navigate the visual resources and librarianship field. It's important to me that I pay it forward by mentoring others. Being a mentor also allows me to stay in touch with the realities and challenges of those who are entering into the field. This gives me the opportunity to assist in creating an inclusive culture in our field. I believe a professional organization is only as strong as the commitment of its members to the organization's success. Mentorships also create lasting friendships and connections, which I believe makes the organization stronger.
Do you have any words of advice or wisdom for any of our members who may be thinking about participating in VRA's mentoring activities?
Do it!
You can meet Kendra at VRA 2020 in Baltimore! 
Want to learn more about becoming a VRA mentor? Visit our Mentorship page! httpS://vraweb.org/opportunities/mentorship/
Have you had a great VRA mentoring experience? We would love to hear about it! Contact the Mentor Coordinator to find out to share your story here!