The CBS Mentor Program seeks to match each interested CBS undergraduate student with a volunteer who holds a job related to the student’s field of interest. The program guidelines are simple: Students and their mentors are asked to meet two to four hours per month during the academic year. The program begins with an initial meeting in October where students meet their alumni mentors, and ends with a wrap-up of the formal program in April.
Become a CBS Mentor today! CBS students are looking for mentors who are graduate students, dentists, doctors, physician’s assistants, physical therapists, researchers, nurses, pharmacists, genetic counselors, biologists, neurologists, scientists… to name a few!
Who can become a CBS Mentor? Anyone! You do not have to be a U of M graduate to volunteer, so please also recruit your colleagues and friends in any of the fields mentioned above.
What is the time commitment? 2 to 4 hours a month (October through April) via phone, email or in person. The method of communication is decided between you and your mentee.
Do I need training to become a Mentor? No, but if you need assistance, we will be happy to provide it. We have events throughout the seven-month program that will assist in maximizing the mentor/mentee relationship. We also have a handbook and online information that will provide some suggestions and guidelines on how to be a good mentor.
Here’s feedback from a couple of last year’s participants:
Dan Elresmann (CBS Mentor) had this to say — “The CBS mentor program was a great experience. I enjoyed getting to know the student and talking about my work life and the student’s plans for the future. The meetings required little preparation, because the student mainly just wanted to talk. I just brought a few examples of work projects and started the discussion from there. The CBS mentor program is a great way to give back to the U of M and help a student. It also helps me stay connected to the younger generations, which helps me in working and hiring.”
Estee Mizrachi (CBS Mentee) had this to say about her mentor who is a medical student — “The thing I like most about my mentor was how clear she was on her goals and how much knowledge she had about career planning. She brought me to the medical school and invited me to sit in on one of the classes at one of our meetings, and at another meeting, we met at a coffee shop, and she gave me amazing career planning advice. Getting to know a medical school student and sit in on one of the classes was a wonderful experience, which greatly heightened my passion for science and medicine. Additionally, talking to her about volunteering, research, and major planning gave me valuable knowledge, which has definitely made a significant difference in the way I will now go through my undergraduate years. My mentor was very dedicated and getting to know her was an amazing experience. Thank you so much.”
Throughout the course of the program, student/mentor pairs can participate in various activities together, such as:
The mentoring program is not an internship, nor is it designed to lead to a job in the mentor’s place of employment. It is simply an opportunity to network, to talk candidly, to question and to challenge. The willingness of the student and mentor to share their time is the key to the program’s success.
Anyone can be a mentor; you don’t have to be a CBS graduate or a member of BSAS or the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA). If you would like to become a mentor to a CBS student, please contact:
Sandy Massel
