When new scholars join an organization as large as the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the size of its Conventions can be daunting. This author was fortunate because NCTE members embraced her and helped her find her way in the field after a first presentation in 2001. After the presentation, she was invited to meet with a few of the fellows of a mentoring program called Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color (CNV). The author discusses how this program made a significant difference in her life.