Dear BI Career Consultants:

I have identified someone who, if I could get him/her to be my mentor, would be an impressive addition to my career. How do I go about cultivating such a relationship?

Mentors are defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as "a wise and trusted counselor or teacher."  The nouns, counselor and teacher, can be adjudged from a person's reputation but if possible,  you should try to find other persons of your age and gender, who have  interacted closely with your chosen mentor to affirm that judgment.
As for the adjectives used in this definition, "wise" is a given. The second adjective, trust, is not as readily evident in someone who is "impressive."  Trust between two persons is built up from exposure and an openness to listen and understand the other. If available and  important to you, having the same ethnic background or broad interests might help get you past the introductory threshold.
If you have not already met the mentor you have identified, you should seek to be introduced. Failing that, try direct contact by writing a note admiring his or her work, and ask for a brief appointment at your potential mentor's convenience. After the initial meeting and a positive impression, you should send a  follow-up message, commenting on any items of interest you discussed and expressing thanks for his or her willingness to meet and share  ideas. Volunteering to help your mentor in his or her favorite project or to work as an unpaid intern would assure regular exposure and the opportunity to cultivate a long-standing and lasting relationship.
Mentors occupy a very personal role, if the maximum benefit is to be derived by both of you. Simply mentioning someone as an acquaintance or even listing a person as a reference in your resumé does not take full advantage of a mentor-protégé relationship. Ideally, the ties that bind will remain strong throughout your entire career — or even lifetime.
Caryn McTighe Musil
Vice President
Education and Diversity Initiative
Association of American Colleges and Universities