2002 is the year to mentor. Engineered Systems magazine started off the year with a two-part article on professional growth by Steven Liescheidt and Kelly Brewer (January and February) that addressed professional development. In President Bush's State of the Union message, he encouraged people to take the time to mentor, while the same message was being communicated throughout southern New England by a Boston TV station that same month. For my part, I will be speaking at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) on training and mentoring this month.
If you fall into that category of having been helped in the past, including receiving encouragement, guidance, and support, then you need to make sure this process doesn't stop with you. Mentors must be proactive, and that doesn't necessarily come instinctively to each person who is in a position to help. Here is a refresher course on this subject: