Today if he wants to connect with him he simply takes a short walk down the hall.

Arnold '89A, '95B and Dick Wilson '73B have offices at the brokerage firm of J.C. Bradford & Co. just 20 paces apart.

"When one of us has a good idea about how to grow the business or had a challenging day, we can talk about it. We have a great relationship," Arnold says.

Wilson and Arnold met through a mentoring program developed by CBPA alumni. In fact, Wilson chaired the college's alumni board mentoring committee through 1998, until the U of L Alumni Association hired Pam Tucker as its mentoring program director and set about expanding mentoring activities campus-wide.

As a student mentor, Wilson sought to help Arnold clarify his career objectives, network with professionals in the field and develop the skills needed to succeed in business.

As a professional mentor, Wilson helps his protege navigate the maze of career development and stay focused on his goals.

Staying on Course

Many mentors say their advice to proteges who have entered the professional world is similar to that which they gave them when they were students.

"Now that my protege is a professional, I mainly help him identify what he wants and help him keep his priorities straight," says Nick Gardner, president and chief executive officer of business developers Gardner Group and Comp Art Associates.

Gardner's protege is former U of L football standout (1992­'96) and current New England Patriots' cornerback Rico Clark ASC.

"Nick has connections," Clark adds. "He is someone I can network with, plus he has hooked me up with financial and business planners."

When Clark was a student, Gardner helped him get a position with Louisville's Bill Collins Ford. Now Gardner is helping Clark put together a business plan for his own car dealership, which he wants to start after retiring from professional football.

"Rico's goal today is to build his wealth and write a business plan, but I give him the same fundamental advice that I did when he was still a student," Gardner says.

Mary Morrow '89B, owner of the business consulting firm ProBusiness Source, has mentored as many as 20 U of L students over the last 10 years. She assumes the role of professional mentor when former proteges contact her, usually when they are debating a job or career change.

"We talk about what they enjoy most about their job, what a perfect day would look like and what they would like their lifestyle to be in five years. The challenge is helping them define what their life would look like and finding something to match it," Morrow says.

Why do so many turn to "outsiders" for career advice? Mentors in the professional arena are able to offer an objective viewpoint that the protege might not get from an employer or parent. Another big plus: The professional mentor has already experienced many of the challenges the protege will encounter, Morrow observes.

A Gift that Gives Back

The perks a protege gains from having a professional mentor are often apparent and plentiful. Mentors say that they, too, profit. And as the relationship with a protege grows, so do the benefits.

"A mentoring relationship keeps you on your toes, keeps you sharp and helps you stretch farther," Wilson acknowledges. "We work together, hand-in-hand.

"Andy is better at the technological end of the business and he helps me with it. (Our skills) complement each other now," he adds.

As one small example of what a mentor can gain from a protege, Arnold streamlined business functions for Wilson simply by giving him a Palm Pilot organizer and showing him how to use it to keep track of client contacts.

Both Morrow and Gardner value the fresh perspective that young proteges bring to discussions.

"I get as much as or more than I give in my relationship with proteges because they bring a perspective of unbounded possibility that we (mentors) lose as we age," says Gardner. In some cases, mentors and proteges get the extra benefit of becoming friends.

"Nick is someone I can count on and trust, not just in business but in personal matters also. I am the same for him. We're friends," says Clark.

Wilson agrees.

"Now I have a friend and a work relationship that will last forever, and he has become a mentor, too. That is quite a payback."

Building a Legacy

Morrow, Gardner and Wilson say their desire to mentor others came from the experience of being mentored themselves.

"I got where I am today because a lot of people helped me. That's why it's important for me to help others," Gardner explains.

Wilson's urge sprang from his relationship with Jim Overman, his mentor 25 years ago.

"If it weren't for his interest I probably wouldn't be in this business," Wilson admits.

Arnold says his decision to mentor was fueled by a sense of obligation based on the advantages he gained in going through the mentoring program at U of L.

He adds that mentoring reduces "brain drain" by helping connect talented individuals with the right corporations and giving them the skills they need to succeed in Louisville.

"I also have a sense of dedication to U of L. Mentoring relationships make the school and the region stronger, which reflects back and makes my degree stronger," says Arnold.

"These kinds of relationships can really make life more rewarding, both personally and professionally."

Ellen Morris, a former staff writer for Business First, is a freelance writer and communications consultant based in Louisville.

Photo illustration: Amy Abrams; underwater photo, Denis Smith/FPG Int'l. LLC; swimmer's face and others, Tom Fougerousse.