Alumni MBA Mentor Program Kickoff

“Strengthening the Foundation” is the theme of the 2006-2007 MBA Alumni Mentor Program (AMP), which got under way on Saturday Oct. 21st, with a kick-off celebration that gave mentors and protégés the opportunity to meet for the first time. The morning offered speakers including AMP Steering Committee members Glenn Gargan '87, MBA '02, and Assistant Dean for External Relations Joanne Ferchland-Parella, MBA '06, who encouraged participants to get involved with the program to the fullest extent.

Dana Monroig from the Office of Career Management followed, providing valuable information about how to utilize the relationships formed through this program throughout one’s career. The kickoff concluded with a brunch in Van Munching Hall's Pownall Atrium that brought together protégés and mentors from the same areas of interest, so initial contact could be made and goals for the year could be laid out.

When Glen Gargan spoke he commented that the alumni network here at Smith is phenomenal, and the mentor program is a vehicle for students to make it easier for them to reach out to alumni. Gargan outlined the other purposes of the program as a way to solidify relationships between the school and alumni, and to get the community involved.

This year’s program contains 14 active clusters in which students can participate. Each cluster represents an area of interest or expertise in the business community: Asset Management/Investment, corporate finance, marketing/marketing strategy, and others. Upon signing up for the program every student chose a primary area of interest, however all protégés have the opportunity to participate in other cluster’s activities as well. Within the clusters students were paired with a primary mentor with whom they can meet one-on-one. There are also secondary mentors in each area of interest that can be contacted by anyone in and outside the cluster.

First-year MBA student Rita Mullane is looking forward to working with mentors in her area of interest, Management/Strategy Consulting. “I thought the kickoff was a great event that allowed me to make a number of contacts. I believe these contacts will play a valuable role in my transition from nonprofit to consulting,” she said.

Upcoming program-wide events include a Happy Hour in November and one in March, a Mentor Week scheduled for Feb. 5-9, and an End-of-the-Year Picnic. For more information about the AMP, please contact Susan Fuller at sfuller@rhsmith.umd.edu or 301-405-9460.