By Spencer Jacobson, Guest Writer
Ray Williams, Newman’s new director of alumni relations, is working to develop a mentorship program for students. Williams, a 2013 graduate of Newman University, said that a mentorship program like the one he is trying to start would have “benefited me a lot as a student.”
Williams said his program would match a current student or recent graduate with alumni. A survey would be conducted and students would fill out a profile to be matched with an alum best suited to them and their career plans. Resources would be made available to the mentors and the students to ensure that the matches are successful.
Williams said he plans to start with a pilot program first to learn as much as possible, adjust, and then hopefully develop a full-fledged program in the near future.
Williams said that his idea for the program was influenced by his experience as a student at Newman.
“Once I graduated college, I was like, ‘Well, what am I supposed to do now?’ Had I had a mentor, I feel like I would have had a track to follow because I would have had somebody to be like, ‘Hey, don't go that way, you might want to look this way,’ somebody to give me a little bit more guidance.”
The University of Kansas recently implemented its own mentorship program, Williams said. He said he feels that the more colleges offering mentorship programs the better because it will help more students make their way to into the workforce and will help society as a whole.
Williams is in the process of determining what implementing this program would take. He will be working to determine if the program is something current students and alumni would be interested in.
“I would love to know from current students,” he said, “‘How would this benefit you and how would you like for it to work?’”
PHOTO: Courtesy photo, Newman Advancement
