Finding confidence and community through the Mentor Match Program

When Michele Chapman transitioned from banking to credit unions, she found herself in unfamiliar territory. After 14 years in Capital One management, the credit union culture felt different, departmentalized in ways she didn't understand. Her confidence wavered. She struggled to complete sentences without stuttering in meetings, something that had never been an issue before.

"It was make or break for me at the point that this started," Chapman said of her decision to join America's Credit Unions’ Council's Mentor Match Program in March 2025.

Six months later, the branch manager at CSE Federal Credit Union in Louisiana describes a complete transformation. "There is no way to completely express or explain what this program has done for me, my confidence, my team," she said. "It's a totally different atmosphere in this branch."

A program built on connection

The Mentor Match Program is an exclusive benefit for members of America's Credit Unions' Councils, designed to pair emerging leaders with experienced executives for six-month mentoring relationships. While an algorithm helps with initial matching based on factors like discipline and asset size, the real work happens through genuine human connection.

Sedric Brinson, who manages the program, emphasizes the importance of proper pairing. "Without a proper pairing, you cannot get what's happening here now," he said. "The goal is for it to last much longer than just this six-month setting, and you establish relationships for years to come."

For Chapman, that proper pairing came in the form of Casidhe Meriwether, a mentor who had experienced the program's benefits firsthand six years earlier. Meriwether, president of Synergy FCU had joined as a mentee when she was uncertain about pursuing a CEO opportunity. Comfortable in her role and the career she built, she didn’t want to say yes or no, to moving up without more information. Matched with a female CEO through the Mentor Match Program, she gained clarity about her career goals and the fit of the CEO position and found a relationship that continues to this day.

"I still consider her a mentor," Meriwether said of her original match. "I reach out to her probably once a month still."

The power of structured support

Chapman and Meriwether established a routine from the start: biweekly Zoom calls at the same time and day of the week, with clear agendas and follow-through on action items. They read professional development books together, discussed time management strategies, and worked through challenging employee situations.

"We always use the entire hour, always," Chapman said. "And it's not just chit chatting. It is: this is what we talked about, this is what the plan was. And she's giving me the feedback of, if I were you, I would do this."

The program helped Chapman set and achieve four specific goals, including building confidence and improving time management. But perhaps more importantly, it gave her a safe space to ask questions.

"Having somebody outside of your financial institution to be able to speak to and ask questions where you may not want to ask that in a manager's meeting or on a conference call because you don't feel comfortable—it opened the door for me," Chapman said.

That outside perspective proved invaluable when Chapman needed to communicate with senior leadership about sensitive topics. Meriwether helped her find the right words and approach difficult conversations professionally.

"She gave me words that I didn't know I had," Chapman said, "which helps build your confidence."

Overcoming imposter syndrome

When Meriwether first became a mentor, she noticed a pattern: many qualified professionals hesitated to participate because of imposter syndrome. They didn't think they had anything valuable to offer.

Her advice is characteristically direct: "Get over it. Everybody has imposter syndrome about something, and everybody's got insecurities about something. If you have the time, why wouldn't you be helping?"

“It’s not as scary as it seems. The mentee is looking for someone to help guide them through situations you have already been in,” Meriweather explained.

She also points out that mentoring is a two-way street. "I take it. I try to mentor to her, but then I also find value in the things that she's willing to share with me," Meriwether said. She is happy to learn from younger generations and apply that knowledge to her own team management. “I can help build someone’s confidence. I can help them with how to word their ideas to get buy in from executives. They can teach me what their generation is doing with technology, what they need from their boss to get their job done effectively, and what encourages and motivates them. I can turn around and use that for my own staff.”

Once participants recognize their personal value, it's so much easier to give back. The program can sustain itself the way that it does because so many mentees go through and want to turn around and give back as mentors. Meriwether has been matched with five mentees since becoming a mentor in the program.

Building a sustainable future

For Chapman, the program's impact extends beyond her personal development. Her branch atmosphere has changed. She's more comfortable communicating with senior leadership. And she's already encouraging her team members to participate, seeing it as a valuable resource for anyone exploring career paths.

"I will be encouraging my team," Chapman said. "I think this program is a prime example of a resource they could use to understand what they want to do with their career."

Meriwether has been advocating for the program across the industry for six years. "I don't think one mentor is enough," she said. "I think that you need more than one [mentor] across different platforms, honestly."

As the current cohort approaches its November wrap-up call, both participants express gratitude for the program and commit to continuing their relationship beyond the formal six-month period.

"I'm not going to let it go," Chapman said. "I need that support. I need to bounce ideas off of her. I know I am comfortable with getting a direct answer from her, whether I'm in the wrong or not. She's going to be honest with me, and I need that."

In terms of how she will continue to apply what she has learned, Chapman said, “The mentorship really helped me grow as a leader and gave me a new level of confidence in my role. It helped me find my voice as a leader. Going forward, I plan to use the confidence I've gained to keep stepping up as a leader. Not just within my branch, but across the organization.”

For credit unions looking to support employee retention and engagement, and for individuals seeking guidance as they navigate their careers, the Mentor Match Program offers something increasingly rare: a genuine human connection paired with structured professional development.

If you are considering Mentor Match, Chapman says, “Be proactive and open-minded—mentorship is what you make of it. Don’t wait for your mentor to take the lead. Come prepared with goals, questions, and areas you’d like to grow in, but also stay open to unexpected insights and directions the relationship might take.”

Applications to be a part of Mentor Match as a mentor or mentee will open again in March.