Alumni-student mentor initiative

UGA launched its first comprehensive mentorship initiative, the UGA Mentor Program, on June 12. Alumni, including faculty and staff, who are interested in participating can create a profile at mentor.uga.edu. The site will open for student sign-ups in August:

The UGA Mentor Program offered a pilot program in January 2019 to 115 pairs of alumni and students. Of the students who participated, 93% said they gained an appreciation for mentoring as a personal and professional development tool.

“Having a mentor is a great chance to look at someone else’s journey from UGA to where they are now—especially if it aligns with your interests,” said LeBria Casher, an English and comparative literature major from Douglasville, who will graduate from UGA in 2020. “Mentors are a valuable source of information, and you get out of the mentorship relationship what you put into it. You never know what good will come from that relationship.”

The UGA Mentor Program, housed in the Career Center, serves both students and alumni. Each participant commits to only one to two hours per month for a 16-week match. The program website hosts a messaging platform that protects participants’ personal information, and once a mentorship relationship is established, students and mentors can communicate in person or from wherever they are via text message, email or phone.

With extraordinary students on campus year after year, and a motivated, enthusiastic alumni base of more than 300,000, it's a perfect time to launch this important new program. A natural extension of the career services aspect of higher education, the new initiative is the product of intensive planning and vision that strengthens connections between alumni and the university while supporting our current students. More information for interested alumni at mentor.uga.edu.