| U of M Alumni Association | U of M Twin Cities |
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As national board president of the Alumni Association, I have the privilege of regularly meeting with a variety of University of Minnesota officials and representatives—including the president and regents, the provost and administrators, and deans and faculty members—to offer the Alumni Association’s perspective on critical U issues. I’m always impressed by the depth of their energy and commitment to this great university. As remarkable as I find these people, however, I am bowled over by U students. Whenever I come to campus and have the opportunity to interact with students, I leave inspired and uplifted by their intelligence, exuberance, spirit, and intellectual curiosity. I signed up to participate in the Carlson School of Management’s mentoring program this year. And when I first met sophomore April Wendt, from Frazee, Minnesota, I wasn’t certain what I’d be able to offer her. Although I am technically the mentor and April is my mentee, I can assure you that I’m learning more from her than she is from me. April is earning her bachelor’s degree in business and human resources with a minor in coaching. We usually meet for a lunch on campus every month and discuss her coursework, her résumé, preparing for interviews, and making connections in the field of human resources. But we also talk about our backgrounds and what’s happening in our lives now. April and I had both been Little League umpires, involved in campus ministry activities, and mentored other young people (she through Big Brothers Big Sisters). April is around the age of my wife, Tracy’s, and my daughters but offers a different perspective on the important issues facing college students today, such as the difficulty in finding employment during this tough economy and the stress on students who are about to enter the job market. When it comes to mentoring, I pale in comparison to Don Bauer (M.P.A. ’57, M.A.’59), the U’s longest serving mentor, who has mentored students for 22 years. He is one of hundreds of alumni who volunteer as mentors. Thirteen colleges and professional schools at the U have mentoring programs, with nearly 2,000 mentoring pairs for the 2008–09 school year. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication established the U’s first mentoring program, in 1983. The College of Pharmacy has the largest program, with 334 student mentees. Since the 1992–93 school year, more than 23,000 students have been mentees at the U. The demand for mentors often exceeds the supply, however, and I encourage all alumni to consider becoming a mentor. The Alumni Association’s Mentor Connection is the place to start. A clearinghouse of information and resources, the Mentor Connection has created a handbook for mentors, hosts workshops and networking events, and works with alumni societies, colleges and departments, and community organizations to make every mentor pairing a success. In particular, anyone who is concerned about our nation’s future would benefit from becoming a mentor of a U of M student, because when you spend time with the future leaders of our community, you realize we’re going to be in good hands. For more information, go to www.alumni.umn.edu and click on “Mentoring & Career Resources.” —Bruce Mooty (B.A. ’77, J.D. ’80) | |||||||||||||||
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Last modified on 3/24/2009 12:35:39 PM ©2009 by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is an equal opportunity educator and employer. | Trouble seeing the text? | Contact Alumni Association | Privacy |
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