Who can be a mentor? (Not FIRST rules related but a general life question)

[Elgin Clock]

From Dictionary.com

Mentor:

noun
1.a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
2.an influential senior sponsor or supporter.

All my life I have always thought of a mentor as someone who is older, and thus generally wiser than myself. The definitions above allude to the senior aspect of that meaning they would tend to be a party older than yourself.

This definition of an older mentor has been true in my life growing up dealing with family situations, school, and even on the robotics team where the older adults were my mentor to a point teaching me what they know.

Never did I think of the possibility of anyone younger being my mentor.

That is... until this year.

All year I was helping people through some stuff, and I guess playing the mentor role in more than a technical aspect whish I was accustom to in previous years, but on a more personal level.

I would be the one who was there to listen to anything someone (mostly younger people) would throw at me, and then try and help them solve their problems as best as I could.
Stressful at times, yes... but all in all a good thing overall as both parties got something out of the many long conversations.

Then... I ran into some problems of my own in a personal nature this year.

Imagine my surprise when the younger people I was helping, started helping me in the same ways. Listening, offering advice, and performing other mentor-ish deeds.

Traditionally we think of a mentor as someone older and wiser as I said earlier, but have you personally ever had any mentors who have been younger, and wise beyond their years that have truly helped you?

I know I have, and even though I don't want to thank them all personally here, they know who they are and my thanks go out to them.