This was always my understanding of the word too, but I've just looked it up and apparently a protégé is just "one who is protected or trained or whose career i

This was always my understanding of the word too, but I've just looked it up and apparently a protégé is just "one who is protected or trained or whose career is furthered by a person of experience, prominence, or influence" so in a mentor-student relationship the student could definitely be referred to as a protégé.