UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When beginning a career at Penn State, no one wants a slow start. The Penn State Alumni Association’s FastStart program offers staff, faculty and alumni the opportunity to mentor first-year students and enrich their new Penn State experience.
The program is primarily intended for first-generation college students or students of a minority background. Approximately 1,800 students are eligible each year, and about 10 percent apply to be a part of the FastStart program. The program is open to all incoming freshmen, though.
Structured in a triad formation, the FastStart program provides freshmen with two mentors — a Penn State alum and a current faculty or staff member on campus. This gives the students a mentor who is accessible to them and another who can teach the value of establishing professional contacts through the alumni network.
Lindsey Zapletal, FastStart program coordinator, matches students with mentors based on their career interests. “I try my best to find mentors that students will really connect with,” she said.
One FastStart mentor, Liz Bligan ’81, ’98g, is currently serving on the Alumni Association’s Alumni Council.
“It’s nice to be able to help kids through a very difficult time in their lives,” Bligan said. “They’re transitioning to academic challenges they didn’t have in high school, and it’s our job to help them get settled.”
The time commitment for mentors is not extreme, requiring attendance at three events per semester, which usually emphasize career development in the form of networking sessions or etiquette dinners. Contact through phone or email is encouraged as well.
In terms of advice, a mentor can assist with a range of issues. “I have helped students with everything from choosing a major to searching for scholarships,” Bligan said.
As a former member of the Division of Undergraduate Studies, Bligan can relate to students who are unsure of their career path.
“I went to school for an education rather than a career,” Bligan said.