The mentor relationship dates all the way back to ancient Greece. Mentor was a faithful counselor appointed by Odysseus to protect his young son, Telemachus, while he went to fight in the Trojan war.1 Athena, the goddess of wisdom, would appear in the form of Mentor to teach, support, and guide Telemachus. I have been fortunate throughout my career to have been supported and guided by extraordinary mentors. Chief and central among them is the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy (JNPT). As a new clinician, I would eagerly await the latest issue of the Neurology Report (dating myself a little), which would later become JNPT, to help guide my clinical practice and improve outcomes for the patients I worked with. As a junior faculty member and a budding researcher, the feedback I received from the reviewers and Associate Editors on manuscripts was invaluable to my career growth. Imagine my surprise and good fortune when at CSM in 2010 Dr. Edelle "Edee" Field-Fote, Editor-In-Chief (EIC) of JNPT (Athena?), asked me to join JNPT as the Digital Media Editor and an Associate Editor. Over the past 10 years, JNPT has continued to be a trusted mentor, supporting my professional growth through the numerous relationships I have developed in association with the journal.

As I step into the role of the EIC, I will strive to continue the mission of the journal to be the "primary peer-reviewed, indexed resource for advancing neurologic physical therapy practice through the dissemination of definitive evidence, translation of clinically relevant knowledge, and integration of theory into education, practice, and research" and its link with the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy mission to "to empower our members to optimize movement system performance for those impacted by neurologic conditions." Following in Edee's footsteps to support this mission will be a daunting task. Edee has truly done a remarkable job during her 12-year tenure as EIC, raising the quality and impact of the journal. During Edee's time as the EIC, the journal received its first Journal Citations Reports (JCR) 2-year Impact Factor in 2011. Since then, JNPT has been ranked in top 5 of rehabilitation journals twice and once in the top 10. To gain such widespread recognition in a short time is just one example of Edee's accomplishments as EIC. What may not be evident to our readers is Edee's tireless commitment to excellence for the journal. This has become even more apparent to me over the past year as Edee has mentored me on all of the behind-the-scene activities that go into managing and leading the journal. I will forever be grateful for her mentorship. As rehabilitation professionals, we are all in debt to Edee for her dedication and the tremendous impact she has had on enhancing neurologic physical therapy practice and research through her role as EIC.

Fortunately, for me, JNPT has an amazing team of Associate Editors, Editorial Board Members (EBMs), reviewers, authors, and readers who are all dedicated to support the mission of the journal and to ultimately improve the lives of the patients we serve. I am excited to continue to work with our current Associate Editors and EBMs and recruit new ones to enhance the journal's impact on neurologic physical therapy research and practice. Their ongoing efforts will facilitate the success of our journal. Some ways, the JNPT team will be working to do this will be to continue to strengthen our international reach through our partnership with the International Neurological Physical Therapy Association. We will also be partnering with the Academy's Special Interest Groups to create podcasts for each issue to expand how our content can be accessed.

To continue the ancient Greek analogy, I am excited (and a little nervous) to receive the torch passed down from Edee and the other amazing EICs to continue their legacy of excellence for the journal. I look forward to developing a strong relationship with our readers and the neurologic physical therapy community. Please reach out with suggestions, comments, and ideas. If I have one wish during my time as EIC, it is that JNPT can continue to mentor and support your professional growth in research and clinical practice as much as it does mine.

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