Paired for Success: A Powerful Mentor Connect Match

Mayomi Omebeyinje was looking to expand her already diverse knowledge base.

By the spring of 2024, her resume was longer and more varied than many people twice her age. She had already achieved a doctor of veterinary medicine degree, earned a PhD in public health, and worked in the petroleum, research, and biosafety fields.

But Mayomi is a continual learner, and she wasn’t satisfied.

“I wanted to spread my tentacles and get to know more about what general safety is,” she said, “because when you see jobs out there, they don't just ask about safety experience — we need health, safety, and environmental.”

Around the same time, BCSP launched a new online platform called Mentor Connect, designed to pair veteran safety professionals with those at earlier stages of their career.

Mayomi jumped at the opportunity. She quickly signed up and began sending invitations to potential mentors she thought could help her take the next step.

She received one response, from Paul Sarrategui, but it wasn’t exactly what she hoped.

“(Mayomi) has her degree in this, and knows math, and knows this,” Paul said. “And I said, ‘Oh, thank you for reaching out. However, I don't know if I'm qualified … I was completely floored and intimidated.”

But Mayomi was undeterred. What Paul did have was nearly 20 years of experience and an extensive background in construction safety that Mayomi knew could help her expand her horizons.

“He had been teaching OSHA 10 classes,” Mayomi said. “He is very good in construction … so all the free fall calculations, crane safety, anything that has to do with construction, Paul is very good. I am deficient in that … So I felt, wow, we had this kind of mix that blended so well.”

Ultimately, Paul agreed.

Despite their different backgrounds, the pair shared a common goal. Both were preparing for BCSP certification exams. Paul, already a Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), was now pursuing the Certified Safety Professional (CSP). Mayomi was seeking her first BCSP credential, the Associate Safety Professional (ASP).

The ASP and CSP exams are rigorous, covering a wide-ranging EHS subject areas. With Mayomi and Paul each bringing their unique knowledge to the table, they decided to use their Mentor Connect meetings to study together for their exams.

They met unfailingly. Week after week — sometimes twice a week as their exams neared — Mayomi would log on to her computer in Maryland, and Paul would sign on to his in Boston. They poured over material together, bouncing questions off one another and sharing ideas.

“We were both learning from each other,” Paul said, “and I think that’s what the whole purpose of mentoring is — to feed off each other.”

Their study sessions went all the way through the fall, as they moved their exam dates back and forward, trying to make sure they were as prepared as possible.

“Finally, we said we just had to knuckle down and do it,” Paul said.

In November, Paul and Mayomi walked into different testing centers, 10 days and hundreds of miles apart, but with the same strategy they had determined together — tackle all the questions you know first, save those you don’t know for last … and for goodness’ sake, don’t second-guess yourself!

It worked. They both passed.

“Paul was the first person I called,” Mayomi said. “I was fulfilled. I had to print my certificate — it’s by my desk at work; everybody must see it.”

Paul was relieved. The CSP was the culmination of a career’s worth of work and the commitment he and Mayomi displayed over their months of studying via Mentor Connect.

“After I had a chance to compose myself a little bit, I said, ‘It was worth it.’ … We worked really hard,” Paul said. “She was committed, and she helped me stay committed as well.”

Beyond achieving their desired goal of certification, Mayomi and Paul developed a connection that will continue to benefit them as they moved forward. Their success story highlights the important role mentorship plays for those in the safety field.

The mentor can share invaluable insight based on all they have seen and experienced, and they can also benefit from the new perspective of the mentee — the best mentoring relationships are a win-win for both parties.

And in a high-stakes job like safety, it can be helpful to have someone to lean on when challenging situations arise.

"The safety profession is a profession that if everything goes right, people are like, 'Oh yeah,'” Mayomi said. “But if anything goes wrong, you take all the blame. That's why I need the likes of Paul who has walked through this path.”

Even though they’re at different stages of their careers, Mayomi and Paul both viewed their achievement of certification as just another step, not the final goal. 

Paul, closer to retirement, said he genuinely enjoys what he is doing and sees a future in which he is working part-time or as a consultant, even after retiring.

Mayomi, now armed with the ASP, has her sights set on the CSP — and on sharing everything she is continuing to learn.

“I will be a mentor,” she said. “I learned from people like Paul, so I'll definitely give back. I am not going to hold it to myself alone.”

If you are a young safety professional seeking a mentor or an experienced safety pro looking to share your knowledge and experience, check out BCSP Mentor Connect. Create a profile at mentor.bcsp.org to get started.