“Mentors are guides. They lead us along the journey of our lives. We trust them because they have been there before.” –Dr. Laurent A. Daley, Mentoring Expert
If anything, the Washington Program (WP) cherishes the relationships it has with St. Mary’s alumni. In doing so, it has created an exchange of reciprocity that scaffolds the professional development of current St. Mary’s students. This exchange comes in the form of its unique Alumni-Mentorship Program.
The WP believes that mentorships are an excellent teaching tool. They enable students to learn from the experiences of alumni who currently work in the Washington area’s public affairs field. As a result, students receive life advice and the interpersonal support to succeed in their internships.
The Alumni- Mentorship Program is conducted by matching students with St. Mary’s alumni to mentor them throughout the course of their internship. For this to occur, the Program Directors work to create the best matches based on the students’ career goals.