UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Alumni Association’s FastStart program is seeking faculty, staff and alumni to mentor underrepresented first-year students to ensure their Penn State careers begin with a “fast start.”
The triad-style program matches first-year Penn State students from diverse backgrounds with two mentors — a Penn State graduate and a current faculty or staff member at University Park. This gives the students an on-campus mentor, as well as one who can speak to his or her experiences as a student and the power of the alumni network.
The program is primarily intended for first-generation college students or students from diverse backgrounds. Approximately 1,800 students are eligible each year, and about 10 percent apply to be a part of the FastStart program, though any freshman or transfer student can participate.
Students are matched with mentors based on compatibility and shared interests through a dedicated online engagement platform. It provides resources and training videos for both mentees and mentors. The average time commitment for mentors is one to two hours per month per student.
This year, former Penn State football standout Michael Robinson, class of 2004 and 2006, has been named the honorary chair of the FastStart program.
Mentor registration closes July 31. Those interested in mentoring can apply here. Contact the Alumni Association’s FastStart program coordinator, Chelsey Scott, at crs21@psu.edu, with any questions.