FULL CIRCLE FOR MENTOR
AMANDA Abate says she owes her career to her mentors.
The Channel 7 Gold Coast news presenter landed her first TV job thanks to a university mentorship program, now she’s paying it forward.
Abate said being able to support the network’s rising stars, including reporter Carly Madsen, was one of the most rewarding parts of her role.
“Professionally we’re always looking up to those with more experience – I know I did – so it’s nice to be able to offer some advice and help in return,” she said.
“It’s not always about reporting. Some days can get quite stressful and young reporters out there face confronting situations, so it might be about how to handle that.”
Abate said mentorship was a two-way street.
“I learn things from Carly too,” she said.
“Social media is a big one, because I didn’t grow up navigating that.
“Of course, there’s still women I look up to all the time – if I don’t call them and ask for advice directly, I’ll ask myself what they’d do in the situation.
“Kay McGrath and Sharyn Ghidella are two of them. They are strong women, so warm and supportive, friendly and smart.”
Nominations are now open for Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year, with a new category devoted to acknowledging mentors, irrespective of gender, who have supported women in achieving success.
“I had two male mentors when I was starting out, Tony Bartlett who was in radio, and then the late Greg Henricks,” Abate said.
“Greg was a legend, a fantastic news man who helped me get my first job in TV.
“He kickstarted my career and, the older I get, the more I want to be able to do the same thing for the younger guys and girls coming through.”