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Orion Mentor

Richard Mika

If there’s anyone who knows about the value of mentorship, it’s Richard Mika. Richard’s journey with Orion began almost two decades ago; he started as a temporary worker, spent time in shipping and receiving, transitioned to conventional machining, and finally learned enough to head up Auburn’s Chaku Cell (where all production from raw material to finished product is handled in one area), a position he’s held for almost ten years.

His story shows what can happen when a willingness to work meets the right training.

Fitting, then, that Richard now devotes approximately half of his time to mentoring others. And loves every minute of it.

“The most satisfying part of the job is when you see the trainee go ‘a-ha!'” Richard says. “They have this light in their eyes and it makes all the difference in the world.”

One thing that sets Richard’s role apart from more traditional teaching positions: he’s also responsible for meeting the daily production quotas of a fully-functioning, professional manufacturing group. But striking the balance between production and mentorship is natural, he says. “You can’t do the one without the other.”

“If I could tell the staff one thing about mentoring it would be how gratifying and fulfilling it is to see that you are helping others. The kind of work we do can be done anywhere, but here we help others realize their full potential and there’s nothing better than that.”

– Richard Mika / Orion Mentor

Plus, he concedes, he’s not alone. “Everyone at Orion is always willing to help, from the folks at Training & Employment, to every other mentor on the shop floor. There’s always help.”

“There’s always help” is an attitude that helps ease the daily challenges of the workplace, of course, but it also sums up everything that Orion is about. We’re here to help others.

“If I could tell the staff one thing about mentoring it would be how gratifying and fulfilling it is to see that you are helping others. The kind of work we do can be done anywhere, but here we help others realize their full potential and there’s nothing better than that.”

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