iMentor has awarded longtime mentor Sherman Reid the inaugural Julian Robertson Mentorship Award at its annual gala, the Champions Dinner. The award was created by John Griffin the founder of iMentor and Blue Ridge Capital, in honor of his mentor and inspiration, Julian Robertson.
“We have created the Julian Robertson Mentorship Award, a unique honor that showcases one amazing iMentor mentor. We wanted to give this award to someone who exemplifies the three pillars of what made Julian so special: mentorship, community and philanthropy,” said John.
The “iMentor team immediately knew [Sherman Reid] should be the award’s first recipient,” he added. Sherman has been a mentor for the last 10 years and was matched with his first mentee Jeffry in 2012 when he was a high school freshman. They spent years developing their relationship and Sherman even introduced Jeffry to his stepson, Justin.
“Sherman has meant the world to me throughout the years. He has been there when I needed him most. He's become a friend and like a parent figure, being a first-generation college student, I needed his help,” said Jeffry, now a graduate of Stony Brook University and a software engineer.
“When I had issues with financial aid, he was also there to guide me through interviews and offers. He showed me it was okay to fail, and even if I couldn't get what I wanted—the salary, the job—he showed me that we could make a plan to help me get to where I wanted to be.”
Sherman didn’t stop with Jeffry when the formal iMentor program ended. He took on another mentee, Jamol, and supported him on his quest through culinary school and his desire to create a catering business. Just a few weeks ago Sherman was matched with his third mentee, Daniel, who Sherman is excited to get to know.
“iMentor and my mentees have had such a tremendous impact on my life. It has brought me such joy, personal growth, and I can't wait to see what Jamol and Jeffrey do next,” Sherman stated as he addressed the Champions Dinner crowd.
Sherman’s commitment and dedication to iMentor extends beyond mentoring. Sherman first heard about iMentor through Bloomberg, where he has worked for the last 17 years. He has continually promoted iMentor, speaking at company recruitment events and personally referring more than 130 new mentors to the program.
He played a key role in setting up a partnership between iMentor and Bloomberg that expanded a national anti-racism program that engages mentors and deepens their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The partnership also builds a community of volunteers to leverage their networks around issues of systemic racism and educational equity.
Sherman has helped lead and guide other volunteers on their own mentorship journey. He helped host a Facebook Live Event to discuss how being a mentor has changed his life, what he’s learned from his own mentees, and how others can start a new mentoring relationship.
“It's very important for me to set an example not only for my own children, but for any young person I meet,” Sherman explained in a 2021 Q&A. “To guide them on a life journey to understand themselves and find that which makes their hearts beat fast—that passion, or spark, that drives them so they'll never work a day in their lives.”
Sherman acts as the co-chair of iMentor NYC’s Leadership Board and is a member of the Black and Latinx mentor affinity group. Finally, he is a staunch supporter of the iMentor brand and never misses an opportunity to show off his iMentor swag.
Learn more about mentoring with iMentor. Read about how one mentor encouraged her mentee, a recent immigrant, to go after four-year colleges. Watch mentor and mentee Quinton and Ismael navigate obstacles and celebrate triumphs in “The Long Game.”
