By Callie Ewing, BA ’03 MH ’22

Students seeking career advice and UD alumni looking to give back can now take advantage of a new Mentorship Program created by the offices of Personal Career Development and Alumni Relations.

“The UD Alumni network is represented in so many fields, and we all share a love for UD,” said Monica (Tomutsa) Molano, BA ’07. “This mentoring program allows all of us to give back with our time and expertise to the next generation, and help make their paths forward after graduation — and beyond — a little easier.”

“The goal of the mentoring program is to help students gain perspective on a particular field while learning how experienced alumni have leveraged their UD educations into successful careers in that area,” said Career Services Director Shannon Blatt, MA ’14. “We're thrilled that so many mentors and students want to take part." 

After potential mentors and mentees have filled out the mentorship application, the offices of Personal Career Development and Alumni Relations will pair them up and provide them with each other’s contact information. They encourage both mentors and mentees to select multiple mentoring opportunities to produce the best match.

“I’m thrilled that this program was created. As a student pursuing a career in medicine, the opportunity to seek personal guidance from an alumnus in my desired field is absolutely priceless,” said Mary Elizabeth Kerr, BA ’22. “The UD pre-health programs are extremely difficult, and often, when combined with the Core classes and Rome experience, very different from the path students take at other schools. Therefore, the opportunity to be mentored by someone who understands the ‘UD experience’ and successfully transitioned from a student to a professional is extremely exciting and, to me, the biggest asset of this program.”

Kerr’s mentor, Trustee Megan Smith, D.O., BA ’02 MBA ’18, said, “I am happy to be involved in the mentoring program as a way to engage with our current students and to help them discern their future careers. Additionally, this affords me the opportunity to give back to the university, which has given me so much.”

A number of opportunities are available for students and alumni to participate in the program:

• Career exploration — Students who have not decided what career path they would like to pursue can meet with a mentor throughout the school year to discuss possible career options for the student using their Focus 2 results. Focus 2 is a career and education planning service used by the Office of Personal Career Development.

• Small group leader — Through the Academic Success Office, alumni can meet with small groups of students once or twice per year to discuss general career advice, general advice about UD and/or advice about life after a UD education. The Academic Success office focuses on supporting students, particularly first-generation students, who can benefit from personalized support that they may not otherwise have access to.

• Resume/LinkedIn reviews — Students who need their resume or LinkedIn profile reviewed can connect with alumni mentors who agree to meet once or twice to provide recommendations on how to attract more interest from potential employers.

• Interview preparation — Students looking to practice their interviewing skills can connect with a mentor who is in a position to hire young professionals. This mentor will meet two or three times with the mentee to offer sample questions and advice on how best to answer them. 

• Assistance in applying to a particular company — This opportunity is for students looking to apply to a particular company, and mentors must have an open position at their company and be willing to hire their potential mentee. Mentors and students will only be matched if they both select the same company, so this opportunity does not guarantee a match.  

• Graduate school preparation — This opportunity is for students seeking assistance in exploring graduate schools, discussing the application and/or interview processes. The mentor will continue to meet with their student until all necessary steps for their mentee’s graduate school applications are completed. 

• Physician or health care professional shadowing — This opportunity is for students seeking a career in health care and for mentors currently in the field of health care. The mentor must have a shadowing opportunity and be willing to ensure their mentee secures a shadowing position. 

Learn more about the UD Mentorship Program.