Students
Practice, develop, and enhance a professional approach to networking with industry professionals.
Benefits
Exposure to desired field
Improved time management skills
Build professional confidence
Develop key skills
Leadership experience
The Process
Selecting Students
Beginning the mentoring process, the student will meet the Student Partnership Committee for a preliminary assessment to ensure requisite fit, determine the industry of interest, and desired outcome. In this meeting, the committee member and the student will explore the student's professional goals. This will allow the committee member to appoint a fitting mentor to the student. Secondly, the engagement will include a short essay that will detail the student’s current situation, goals, and objectives including personal interests, passions, and examples of demonstrated core values. Next, the student will go through a series of interviews between student prospects and the Student Partnership Committee to help assess the student’s ambitions beyond what is displayed in their essay. The final hurdle for acceptance will include a review by the Student Partnership committee, to determine the fit for which the Foundation feels it can best assist.
Getting Into the Meetings
Once a student has been admitted and has shown an understanding of their responsibilities and willingness to execute, they can begin their transition into an active member of the foundation.
MEET: In this first meeting, the student must come ready to meet their mentor, learn about their career path, and current occupation, and share the student’s own story. The student should also prepare to share their goals for the relationship and what they hope to accomplish.
LEARN: The purpose of the “Learn” call is for the student to add to their skillset. The question the student should be asking themselves is “How can I leverage this professional’s knowledge and become better, smarter, and more prepared?” or “I know my professional does this skill daily and I’ve always been curious about this, how can my professional teach this to me?” By learning from the professional, the student can have a better grasp of what the professional’s career entails, and discover if they have a passion for the career.
GROW: The purpose of the last meeting is more to reflect on the relationship and establish how the student should move forward in their collegiate careers. You can deepen any topics you've covered from prior calls and/or any follow-ups you had, insights from books read, and remaining questions. You should now be asking them about other professionals in their network and ensuring a warm handoff to at least three other professionals that he/she may be willing to set you up with.
Program Conclusion
The mentorship with the first professional is complete, now what? Reach out to the next mentor with whom the last professional has agreed to connect you. These meeting processes can be recycled and used from professional to professional.
Once 3 professional relationships are complete, the student is officially complete with the Connect 3 Track. At this point, the student can apply to serve as a committee member and becomes eligible for the Connect 3 Collegiate Scholarship. Application for both opportunities can be found on the Connect 3 Website.
Jarett Smith, University of Tennessee
“Working with the Connect3 mentoring process has been a tremendous resource for me as I’ve progressed in my academic and professional career. I’ve been challenged to sit in the front row of life by discarding the complacency that often accompanies the college experience. Through this organization, I’ve gained access to mentors that would have previously been inaccessible. These mentors have provided insider industry knowledge, foundational professional coaching, and invaluable experiences that will undoubtedly benefit me for life.”
Looking for More Involvement?
Student Committees
Select student mentees can enhance their Connect 3 experience by also serving as mentees and committee members, helping to execute the work needed in each committee. By doing so, students will be given the chance to give back by leveraging the skills learned from professionals while respecting those who have benefitted them in their journey through the foundation. Students’ work in the foundation will be extremely beneficial as the foundation is in its earliest stages.
The primary responsibilities of the committee members are to:
Develop and execute the workstreams necessary to fulfill the deliverables of that committee
Work diligently to ensure the constant improvement and success of the foundation on each level
Learn from professional leaders, take the initiative to better the foundation, provide innovation, and develop your commitment to its full potential