In this article, the author discusses the benefits of assigning proteges to first-year principals. This practice allows aspiring principals to experience what it is like to be a first-year principal. Having a first-year principal serve in a mentorship role can benefit both the principal and the protege--as well as students, teachers, and the community. There are three benefits to this type of mentorship. First, by placing a protege with a new principal, the district shows its commitment to helping the principal survive during the first year by providing him or her with an extra "quasi-administrator." Second, a first-year principal also gets the opportunity to examine his or her own professional growth and values. Finally, mentorships can addresses the needs of the district by recruiting and retaining a qualified pool of applicants for the principalship. By placing a candidate with a new principal, the district gives aspiring administrators a year of on-the-job training with someone to develop and enhance his or her leadership skills.