After Ashkon Jafari’s own years at this university left him wishing he had someone to help him navigate the sometimes-overwhelming, often-confusing path to post-graduate life, he decided to create a space where college students could connect with mentors.
“I switched my major and universities a few times and I found that having a professional that I could reach out to was invaluable,” Jafari said.
“It wasn’t until my college internship where I found this mentor who helped me find this path and how to go about the remainder of my college years.”
And so www.StudentMentor.org was born.
The site, which connects students to employers in their field of study, has already attracted the attention of students at this university, who noted the importance of making connections — particularly in the present-day economy.
University graduate students Karan Arora and Ankit Agarwal found the site while searching online for resources.
“I was looking for people who are working in the field now and who can actually guide me,” Agarwal said. “I wanted to know what I should be doing with my education and the best way to transition to working.”
Both students said a mentorship is often only as valuable as the effort the mentor is willing to put into fostering a relationship.
“They were pretty helpful, I received good answers and they gave me concrete things to do [to better my job prospects],” Arora said. “I mentioned I was looking for an internship and my mentor sent me an e-mail and asked for my resumé because she had some opening in her company and could forward it to others.”
Agarwal said although he has learned a lot from his mentor so far he is constantly looking for more mentors to learn from and network with.
The university also provides resources through which students can find mentors and programs that cater to their needs.
The Career Center, Alumni Center and various colleges’ own career services often have resources to help students navigate to find a fellow Terrapin in their job market who is willing and able to extend a hand.
Part of the reason so many people are willing to participate in mentorships, Jafari said, is because both mentee and mentor benefit from the relationship.
“We’ve had mentors come to us and tell us, ‘I was really looking forward to this opportunity but I didn’t realize how much of an impact it would have on my own life,” Jafari said.
“The mentees are teaching the mentors about life and having a positive mindset.”
farrell at umdbk dot com
