Become an Alumni Mentor

You can make an impact on a student's life by becoming a mentor. Mentors serve as guides to students, answering questions, giving advice, and helping them to learn more about their field of interest and about themselves.

Am I Eligible?

All alumni of the Eberly College of Science are eligible to become mentors.

How Does It Work?

Students and alumni register for the Mentoring Program in LionLink. Registration opens August 1 and continues through September 30. Once registration is closed, alumni relations staff will first review and approve applications, then match alumni and students.

Quality matches are at the heart of successful mentorships, and we do our best to align career fields, majors, professional experience, and shared interests. Please note that it may not be possible to make a match immediately. All profiles will remain active in the database and connected to the larger LionLink community (unless you change your profile settings).

Once matched, you and your mentee will receive an introductory email in LionLink and should then work collaboratively to define the scope of the mentorship and establish goals. To help mentors prepare to work with students, the Office of Alumni Relations, in partnership with the Office of Science Engagement, will host informational webinars in October. Dates will be sent after matches have been approved.

The mentorship cycle continues through May of the following year. If you want to continue your mentorship through a second year, please continue to stay connected! If you are interested in becoming a mentor, but missed the registration deadline, please provide your information on this form so we can contact you when we open registration for the following year.

What Can I Expect as a Mentor?

Mentorships vary. Some students are highly self-aware and clearly identify the areas with which they need assistance. Others are less well-developed and may need help identifying their skills and applying their experiences and interests to post-college planning. Others may just want help practicing for interviews. Most students are initially quite intimidated by interacting with their mentor and tend to forget that you were once in their shoes. Their focus varies, their plans change, many are incredibly busy, and crises can always arise.

Strong mentors are intentional about their mentoring role and sensitive and flexible to their mentee’s needs.

Regular communication will help you and your mentee get the most out of the program. You can communicate with one another via email, phone, video, or with visits to your workplace, if you so choose. This is not a job placement program. You are not expected to offer employment or internships to the student you are mentoring.

If you have questions, please contact Kelly Praskovich at eberlyalumni@psu.edu or call 814-863-8454.