Mentoring Program Connects Alumni and Students
Six months after it was first implemented, ChBE鈥檚 mentoring program is proving to be beneficial to student and alumni participants alike.听
鈥淭his program provides an ideal outlet to give back to the younger generation of engineers and makes you feel great sharing and helping others,鈥 says Jay Witherspoon (ChemEngr鈥81).
罢丑别听ChBE Alumni Student Mentoring Program (ASMP)听was first proposed by the department鈥檚 External Advisory Board in 2013. Since it was rolled out to sophomores and juniors in the spring of 2014, 65 students have been matched with alumni mentors.
Through the ASMP, alumni are able to impart advice and information on career options and professional etiquette that students do not normally get in the classroom.
"The program has allowed me to gain valuable insight into starting an international engineering career from an experienced professional," says senior Brita Salzmann. 听
Both alumni and students were polled about their experiences this May; the results were extremely positive and helpful suggestions will be implemented this fall.
鈥淭his program offers students insight into what is in the world just beyond homework assignments and midterms, while allowing alumni to reconnect with the department in a very positive way,鈥 Andrew Jensen (ChemEngr鈥10) commented in the survey.
Theresa Scholz (ChemEng鈥80) also wrote, 鈥淚t was interesting to hear about the pressures and expectations students experience today. Some are the same as when I went to school, and some are very different."
Additionally, the first annual ChBE Distinguished Mentor Award was presented this April to Amgen Senior Project Manager Brian Kihn (ChemEngr鈥92), shown with his mentee junior Sam Torrance. Kihn not only gave great advice to Torrance through their meetings and emails, but he also organized a tour of Amgen鈥檚 Boulder facility for 20 ChBE students.
听鈥淏rian has helped me better my resume and really tailor it towards what employers are looking for, as well as helped me to get in contact with some folks in the industry,鈥 says Torrance. 鈥淪ince meeting him, I have learned a lot more about what kind of job I should expect as well as how I should carry/present myself in order to appeal to those in hiring positions.鈥
More mentors are needed for the Fall 2014 semester when the program is offered to the new class of sophomores. If you are an alumnus/a and interested in mentoring a ChBE student, please email ASMP Coordinator听Wendy Young听or visit the听ASMP website.