protégés

Protégés are individuals who receive guidance, advocacy, and development opportunities from a more experienced mentor or sponsor within a professional, artistic, or academic setting. The term derives from the French protégé, meaning "protected person," and entered English in the early modern period. In contemporary usage, protégés are often described as mentees, but the relationship with a sponsor emphasizes active promotion of the protégé's access to opportunities, whereas mentoring focuses on learning and skill-building.

Mentor–protégé relationships can be formal or informal. In formal arrangements, organizations run mentorship programs, fellowships, or apprenticeships that pair protégés with experienced leaders and set goals, timelines, and evaluations. In business, arts, sports, or politics, sponsorship-based protégés may receive introductions to networks, endorsements, or roles that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.

While protégés gain knowledge, networks, and advancement opportunities, sponsors and mentors bear responsibility for ethical conduct, boundaries, and equity. Power imbalances and favoritism may arise if the relationship is not managed with transparency and accountability. Successful protégé systems emphasize clear expectations, professional standards, and reciprocity, including the protégé's commitment to developing skills and giving back to the community or organization.