How do you find a mentor and why do you need one? In a three-part series, we look at different kinds of mentoring relationships students can seek out. Some are more formal while others grow through time, but all mentorships have benefits for students in the classroom, in their career and beyond. This is the third story in the series. The first story looked at the student-professor mentoring relationship. The second story explored guidance student peers can provide.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Although its program is only 4 years old, Penn State’s Smeal College of Business is at the forefront of quality mentoring programs in the United States.
Jennifer Eury, honor and integrity director for the Smeal College of Business, has worked with the college’s mentoring program since its inception in 2009 to create an opportunity for students and alumni to engage with each other on an ongoing basis.
Since that time, Smeal College of Business alumni have been more than willing to contribute to the program. “One of the primary reasons that alumni seek out the college is to get involved and, most important, to connect with students,” Eury said. “They want to give career advice to students. They want to meet with students.”
The program does just that. Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors are invited to apply during the spring semester. Applicants submit a resume, short essay and reference. Alumni interested in becoming a mentor apply online and submit a resume or bio.