If obtaining a college degree is not already enough, students should also show relevant internship or work experience to stay competitive within the workforce after school. While most students have heard that Southwestern’s Career Services rank impressively among national reports, not as many realize the various opportunities available to gain experiences graduate schools and employers have come to expect. Notably, the Junior Alumni Mentoring program, the Office of Fellowship and Scholarship, and the online Alumni Directory provide reliable avenues to begin that “something extra” on your resume.

Q & A with Adviser of the Junior Alumni Mentoring Program, Megan Buxton:

1. The Alumni Networking database launched last Spring, but what should new students know about its use and the goals Alumni Relations has for the database?

The database is a great way to search for alumni in various fields, locations, by major or vocation! This can serve as a great resource when searching for jobs, internships, or moving to a new place!

2. Why did Alumni Relations start this junior mentorship program? What are the intentions behind it?

The mentorship program actually was started by an idea that came from the Board of Trustees. The intentions are to help support current Southwestern juniors in the career networking and development, as well as engaging with alumni as they can volunteer to be mentors.

3. How are students chosen and how many are you advising this year?

Students must be junior status and fill out an application. We are piloting the program with 40 students but have room for 10 more if there are interested students!

4. What expectations are given to these student-alumni relations? (Do they get one mentor, do they complete a project, is it all online?)

Matches are set and the main expectation is they meet wether in person, on the phone, or by a video chatting program. After their connections, both alumni and students reflect on their conversations!

5. Can you please give one example of a success story between an alumni and student you are currently advising, so far?

Students and alumni just had their first matches and I am meeting back with students this month so I will let you know as I hear back!

6. What sort of feedback from participating alumni and students have you received regarding the effectiveness of the program?

Since we are in the first year, the effectiveness is still being evaluated but we have heard a lot of great things from both students and alumni. There is a lot of potential with this program and  I am excited to see where it goes!

7. Why have you enjoyed supervising this program?

I have loved being able to interact and engage with both students and alumni. The program has a lot of great students and I am excited to see where this program goes!

Alumni Directory:

This online directory is found under the Alumni page of Southwestern’s website. Launched last spring, the directory gives faculty, alumni and students access to profiles of SU members and, more specifically, to career mentors. Using your SUID, students can searched for alumni based off of class year, major, organizations they were involved in while a student, location, and occupational field. Alumni who classify themselves as Career Mentors want students to contact them with questions and build a network. The Alumni Directory is open for any student, not just juniors in the mentorship program.

Office of Fellowship and Scholarship:

On the first floor of Prothro, this office hails Southwestern’s fellowship guru, Dr.Gaines. Dr.Gaines has helped students for years find relevant academic experiences. He welcomes all students to meet with him and discuss their interests and career goals, and he will research programs that best suit your needs. Last year, Gaines assisted a handful of students who received the prestigious Sumners scholarship, and he also oversees the Kemper scholarship. Whether you have your life planned out or have no clue where you are headed, the Office of Fellowship and Scholarship can give personalized attention.