Health & Fitness
Student-Alumni Mentoring off to great start at University of St. Francis
Alumni leaders committed to guiding graduating students in new program
JOLIET, Ill. – University of St. Francis (USF) students will benefit from a new program that pairs students with alumni mentors who are already working in their field of interest. The goal of the new Student Alumni Mentoring (SAM) program is for students to gain knowledge from a seasoned professional about their field, the workplace, and to be prepared for job searching upon graduation, according to alumna and director of alumni and parent relations, Aubrey (Durish) Knight.
SAM’s first event, a dinner for students and their alumni mentors, took place in October. Small group discussions were facilitated and students and alumni had the opportunity to talk and get to know each other. This month, a speed networking event will take place to learn about different fields, to promote positive communication and to teach students how to prepare their ever-important “elevator speech,” which, according to Knight, is based on “the theory of getting on an elevator with a potential employer and having to market yourself to the best of your ability in a few minutes.”
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USF student Kayla Madej, president of the USF Student Alumni Association (SAA), was involved in creating the mentoring program with the Alumni Office. Madej is encouraged by the partnerships that are developing as a result of SAM. She attended the October dinner event with her alumna mentor, Joliet teacher Nacole Zapchenk.
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“I learned a lot about my mentor and the things we have in common” said Madej, an education major. “We discussed her teaching experience, my career goals as an educator and set a day for me to shadow her in her classroom.”
Fifteen student-alumni matches have been made, based primarily on the student’s major and career goals. If you are a USF alumna/us and are interested in mentoring a future student in the SAM program, please fill out the required application found at www.stfrancis.edu/sam.
The University of St. Francis in Joliet serves 3,400 students nationwide, offering 44 undergraduate programs, four adult degree-completion programs, 18 graduate programs and two doctoral programs. Areas of study include arts and science, business, education, nursing and health care and social work. For information, call (800) 735-7500 or visit www.stfrancis.edu.
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