Alumni Mentorship
You have something to offer the world. You have something to offer Touro. In the TUC's Alumni Engagement Department, we understand you are an accomplished professional, your time, knowledge and experience are valuable. Because we understand your value, we also understand that we need you!
About Mentorship
We believe the educational path begun at Touro isn't linear, it's circular. Our students and our alumni benefit enormously when there is a symbiotic relationship between the two groups. Not only are these relationships mutually beneficial, in a very real sense they also benefit our communities, our country and the world.
Alumni Ambassadors provide knowledge, understanding and perspective that student have consistently said they desperately want and need. Students, on the other hand, provide alumni with new enthusiasm, inspired optimism, and untapped ability.
Symbiosis. Reciprocity. Excitement. Fulfillment. Our Ambassador program offers these things to you, as an alumnus, and our students, as individuals on the precipice of a great professional future.
The mentorship program is managed by Brigit Perez, Director of Alumni Relations and Andrew Cronan, Director Career and Professional Development.
For Alumni
The TUC Alumni Mentor Program enables you to share their professional and personal experience and expertise with current TUC students. The connections made in the program help prepare our students for a successful future and leave a lasting impact on our campus community.
As an alumni mentor, you will have the opportunity to advise student(s) through academic guidance, career advice and personal development for the academic year. We encourage mentors and mentees to connect on a regular basis (i.e. once a month phone call, in person meeting, or email conversation). However, the frequency and form of communication are things you can determine together.
You do not have to be on campus to leave a footprint at TUC. Whether you are right down the street or across the globe, we invite alumni from around the world to be part of the TUC Alumni Mentor Program.
What you'll do:
- Commit to serving as a resource to your mentee student
- Offer suggestions and feedback
- Provide you real-world experience re: jobs, industry knowledge and career aspirations
- Assist with your mentee student's personal growth
- Discuss the common fields of interest
- Share experiences of working in your particular field
- Encourage goal-setting and achievement
- Respond to emails from the program administrator.
Work with and support the next generation of professionals in your field!
For Students
As a TUC student, you have exclusive access to a robust network of alumni who are eager and willing to meet you and share their wisdom and knowledge about life after TUC.
The TUC Alumni Mentor Program is a unique opportunity for you to form meaningful and lasting relationships with alumni that will extend beyond campus walls.
As a program participant, you will be paired with a mentor for an entire academic year. We encourage mentors and mentees to connect on a regular basis. You will decide the frequency and form of communication together.
Program Opportunities and Commitments:
- An chance to learn from the mentoring relationship by communicating your goals and aspirations to your mentor
- An opportunity to learn to balance personal and professional relationship with your mentor — just as will with colleagues and leaders throughout your career
- You'll set aside time for the mentoring process and keep all scheduled appointments with your mentor and display professional behavior
- You will learn to respond professionally, in a timely manner to your mentor's feedback
- You can be open and honest with your mentor about your challenges and weaknesses
- As in the professional world, if something concerning your mentor needs to be discussed with others, it should first be discussed within the mentoring relationship
- As part of professional development, you'll commit to working with the Career and Professional Development office to review and update professional resources, including resume building and soft skill preparations
Eligibility:
To become a mentee, you must have completed at least one semester at TUC and be in good academic standing (3.0 cumulative GPA or higher).
Learn from someone who knows what you're going through now, and what you'll experience in the future.
Matching Process
Students and Alumni are thoughtfully paired based on a variety of factors including course of study and career aspirations.
It is important to note that student protégés and alumni mentors may not have the exact major or career but we believe our alumni mentors have much more to offer than just career advice!
All of your professional, personal, academic and life experiences are valuable to share.
While we cannot guarantee every alumni volunteer will be paired, willing Alumni volunteers who are not paired are offered other opportunities to support students.
How the Alumni Mentorship Program Works
We ask that you fill out the Mentor form for alumni and the Student form for students, and then you will be matched by the directors of alumni relations and career and professional development at the beginning of the fall semester. The matches will be reevaluated at the beginning of each semester and re-match as needed.
How is the mentoring program structured?
We keep the program unstructured so that it can easily fit into a busy lifestyle. We provide tips and tools that are helpful to keep the conversation going.
What is the time commitment?
The time commitment for the program is as short as one semester and as long as you and your mentee want to spend on the program.
How many times may a TUC Alumni member participate in the program?
TUC Alumni may participate as many times as they would like to in the TUC Alumni Mentoring Program.
How will the TUC Alumni mentors and mentees be paired?
Students and Alumni are thoughtfully paired based on a variety of factors including course of study and career aspirations. It is important to note that student protégés and alumni mentors may not have the exact major or career but we believe our alumni mentors have much more to offer than just career advice! All professional, personal, academic and life experiences are valuable to share.
What ongoing support should we make available to mentees?
Try to communicate with your mentee as often as you both can. The contact communication can be a mix of phone calls, email, personal meetings if possible, etc.
How many mentees will I have if I am a mentor?
As a mentor, you will only be paired with as many mentees as you see fit.