Students

Mentors: Your guides to ASU and beyond

At one point or another, a lot of us would have really appreciated it if we had a fellow student, probably older, to guide us through all of the different parts of the college learning curve. That's where W. P. Carey mentorship programs come in.

By Ahmed Imam (<em>BS Business Entrepreneurship, Finance ’17</em>)

2016-01-29

I remember walking to class on the first day of my first year, completely lost and disconnected from everyone around me while I was trying to make it to class on time. I felt a similar way when I went to Passport to ASU at the Memorial Union for the first time and was trying to navigate my way through all of the different clubs and opportunities present.

There are a lot of things to figure out — how to read the Degree Audit Reporting System, what to do if you want to switch your major, what the different kinds of advisors at W. P. Carey do, and so on. I’m sure at one point or another, a lot of us would have really appreciated it if we had a fellow student, probably older, to guide us through all of the different parts of the college learning curve.

Here's where W. P. Carey mentorship programs come in.

For W. P. Carey first-year students and transfer students that are looking for a peer-to-peer mentorship program (i.e. student-to-student), they are encouraged to use Connectors to access business student mentors. Connectors mentors are undergraduate business students of all majors as well as MBA graduate students. And if you think mentoring incoming first-year students as an undergraduate or graduate student sounds super fun, definitely check it out. The W. P. Carey School of Business Professional Mentorship Program matches professional mentors exclusively with business student mentees.

Then there's Arizona State University's revamped and expanded online network that drives powerful professional connections within the Sun Devil community. The ASU Mentor Network gives students access to an online and in-person network of diverse mentors. It also offers a variety of opportunities that allow alumni to continue sharing their experience and real-world knowledge with students, ranging from various informal connections to more traditional mentoring relationships.

I was involved with W. P. Carey mentorship programs and truly enjoyed the relationship I built with my mentee and everyone else involved. The thing that I loved most was having the opportunity to learn and teach at the same time. Moreover, relationships that are built through these programs become more valuable over time and never fade, simply because you are always making sure that you are in contact with your mentor or mentee and, depending on the program, always making it a point to meet at least once a month.

None of this would be possible without the hard work of the faculty and staff involved with mentorship programs. They put a lot of effort into making the right mentor-mentee matches, hosting events for mentors and mentees to attend, making it as easy as possible to stay in communication with everyone you need to, and above all, making it a memorable experience.

Get involved early to maximize the value of your experience.

If you are enthusiastic about being a W. P. Carey student, and are looking to learn, grow, and or teach all while making a difference, I encourage you to seriously consider joining W. P. Carey mentorship programs. Your involvement will help you to learn more about yourself, build strong communication and interpersonal skills, and become a proactive member of the W. P. Carey community.

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