Mentorship at POLITICO - Jenna Ross & Kayla Sharpe

What are your names and titles?

Kayla: Kayla Sharpe, Engagement Editor for Subscriber Strategy
Jenna: Jenna Ross, Account Manager on Pro Sales

How did you end up at POLITICO?

Kayla: I came to POLITICO as a Digital producer in 2018 through our fantastic referral program. I was looking for an opportunity to join a larger, dynamic newsroom and reached out to a former colleague of mine who passed my resume on to our recruitment team. It just goes to show the power of networking!

Jenna: I came to POLITICO as an Account Management Associate in 2019. I was working a less stimulating job and immediately fell in love with my coworkers and the mission of POLITICO Pro. I knew I wanted to stay here long term.

Tell us about the POLITICO Mentorship Program. How did you both get involved?

Kayla: I wanted to get involved with the POLITICO Mentorship Program to meet new colleagues and support young professionals’ growth across the company. I’ve had so many helpful and supportive mentors in my career and appreciate how important it is to have somebody to turn to when you need advice, encouragement, or a different perspective.

The POLITICO Mentorship program does a great job of partnering mentors/mentees based on skills and goals. I was thrilled to be paired with Jenna to connect about everything from communications skills to goal-setting.

Jenna: I was struggling with my confidence effectively communicating in front of large groups of people, and also wanted to meet others across the organization. I was speaking to another colleague who mentioned The Mentoring Network, and I immediately signed up.

I was so excited to be paired with Kayla and get to know someone from another side of the business. I was also able to pick her brain and learn from her expertise in communicating effectively and her many tips on networking in DC!

What is something you’ve gained from this partnership?

Kayla: I think the most fruitful part of my mentor relationship with Jenna is that it’s allowed me to reflect upon the journey I’ve taken throughout my career. I’ve learned that even though we work in totally different roles and departments, our challenges and aspirations are often closely aligned. I’ve learned so much about my own strengths and weaknesses while encouraging and coaching Jenna.

Jenna: Kayla has been so helpful to me since we began working together in the fall of 2019. She was so friendly and warm right off the bat that I felt comfortable sharing my struggles with her. Immediately, she presented me with multiple different ways in which I could face these issues and begin to tackle them. Not only did she walk me through solutions, but she provided real life examples of times in which she also experienced the same problems to relate to what I was feeling.

Throughout our partnership, Kayla has allowed me to not only work with her towards growing my own skill sets and learning through her, but we’ve genuinely enjoyed getting to talk to one another each month and catch up on what’s happening in our lives and within our departments at POLITICO. I feel I’ve not only gained a skilled mentor but a friend.

What POLITICO value do you think the other best represents?

Kayla: Jenna is a phenomenal disruptor. Whenever we chat, I’m always impressed by her ability to bring up new ideas and strategize an approach. Whether she is participating in a meeting for our company-wide Diversity & Inclusion committee or preparing for a presentation to her team, Jenna is always looking for a way to improve upon and develop best practices.

Jenna: Kayla is a relentless contributor. In all aspects of her life, she is a driven leader who gives her all to everything she takes on. Whether it be juggling the various hats she wears at POLITICO, or as the Public Relations committee Chairman for her chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Kayla gives her all to everything she does.

I’m constantly motivated by her ability to tackle so many varying tasks and responsibilities and still show up to every meeting we have with a huge smile on her face. She is so resilient, and a huge inspiration to myself.

If the other person was a piece of POLITICO branded merch, what would they be?

Kayla: Jenna would definitely be a POLITICO branded PopSocket. She’s versatile, innovative, and a phenomenal asset to any team!

Jenna: Kayla would totally be a POLITICO journal. She’s a hardworking, effective communicator, who has the ability to adapt in differing environments and situations.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! We're happy you're both here at POLITICO!

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