I'm a first-gen college grad who went on to be president at Comcast. I couldn't have done it without mentors.

• Steve White is president, special counsel to the CEO of Comcast.
• He says having strong mentors played a key role in his career trajectory as a first-gen college student.

I grew up in the housing projects in Indianapolis, Indiana. When I was 10, my mother began taking me and my brothers to work with her on Saturdays as she cleaned motel rooms. We knew it wasn't her dream to clean motel rooms and pick up after strangers, but it was honorable work that represented a greater goal: giving her boys a better future.

At 11, I got a newspaper route and would wake at 5 a.m. to fold papers and deliver them to several neighborhoods before going to school. In two years, I never missed a delivery day.

The sense of pride I felt from working my route and contributing my earnings to the household inspired me to think about what kind of job I could have when I got older. In high school and beyond, I realized that finding mentors who encouraged my career ambitions would play a big role to my success.

In high school, my basketball coach and speech teacher supported my leadership and college goals

When I didn't make the player roster for high school basketball, my coach Ernie Cline made me part of the management team. I did everything from clean equipment to handle logistics and travel plans, and the role helped that nurture my confidence as a leader.

My forensics speech teacher, Mrs. Goodrum, encouraged me to join a program that helped first-generation students like me learn how to apply to college, secure financial aid, and find scholarships for books, room, and board.

Mrs. Goodrum and Coach Cline were amazing mentors to me, and with their encouragement, I started to see the possibilities for my life and career.

I went to Indiana University, and after graduation was recruited for a job in New Jersey selling medical supplies. I had great mentors who taught me the ropes and in my first year, I was the top quota breaker in the company, beating my target by 54% and earning 'Rookie of the Year' at the company's annual convention.

By the next year, the company moved me to Chicago as director of product management. Before long, I was promoted again to regional sales manager and moved to Ann Arbor.

I was proud of the promotion, but soon realized I wasn't yet fully prepared for a senior management role

I had a great job, a nice house, the first college degree in my family, and a momma who was the envy of her church-lady friends. Privately, however, I had my doubts and fears. This had all happened fast, and at times I felt like an imposter.

I wasn't fully prepared to lead a team when I arrived in Ann Arbor. My assignments up to that point had been about taking care of my supervisors and winning business for the company, and I figured my 10 direct reports would get to work making the team look good.

I didn't show them the way or give them the support they needed, and at the end of my first full year as a team leader, my team finished dead last out of 30 regional sales teams. The "you're not adding value conversation" with my boss soon followed and was punctuated by three words: You are fired.

After what felt like a gut punch, another Black executive at the company took an interest in my growth

While I was still reeling, Darnell Martin, a high-ranking Black executive in a different division of the company, learned what had happened and reached out to say, "I got you."

He hired me for a temporary position where I watched and learned as he and my new boss modeled servant-leadership. Rather than run away from an employee who lacked skills, they saw my desire to succeed and knew I could thrive by mirroring their approach. I was hooked after watching my new mentors and knew that I wanted to pursue leadership roles.

Not long after Martin helped me get my career back on track, a headhunter approached me about a job at Pepsi. From there, I worked in several positions with increasing responsibility at Colgate-Palmolive before I ultimately landed in telecommunications as a regional vice president with Comcast.

After two promotions at Comcast, I was offered a third promotion to senior vice president of the California region. At the time I'd had my sights set on the role of president, so I almost passed on the promotion due to my wounded pride.

But thanks to advice from several trusted mentors and friends, I realized it was an opportunity to prove myself as a well-rounded choice to be the next division president. I did, and after two years as senior VP, I was promoted to president of Comcast West. 11 years later in 2020, I became president special counsel to the CEO.

Through all the ups and downs, I know I wouldn't be where I am today without the mentors who supported me along the way

Rather than giving into circumstances or setbacks, my mentors taught me to look at every challenge as an opportunity to improve myself and build the career I wanted. It wasn't always easy, but it was always worth it.

Steven A. White is president, special counsel to the CEO of Comcast. As president of Comcast's West Division for 11 years, White lead nearly 30,000 employees, serving more than 11 million customers and driving annual revenue of nearly $18 billion. He's also the author of "Uncompromising: How an Unwavering Commitment to Your Why Leads to an Impactful Life and a Lasting Legacy."